Revived To Fight
by Chameleon777
Summary: Continuation of "Tatooine Exile." The dawn of a new era is approaching and while one Jedi struggles with reclaiming his place in destiny, another struggles to find his way in a new world. Old friends and foes will fight the Sith for the galaxy's control.
1. Time Gone Past

Dressed completely in white, Leia Organa, Princess and Senator of Alderaan, stood at the archway that led into the Organa household. She could still hear her father's words ringing in her ears. Before coming out here, she and her father had shared a private conversation.

_"Everyone on Alderaan is very proud of you, Leia," Bail had told her, as they said farewell and Leia prepared to depart on her mission. "I know you will do well on your mission."_

_Pleased that she could be trusted to carry out such an assignment, Leia had promised that she would succeed and that Obi-Wan Kenobi would be able to help preserve the Rebel Alliance._

Although Alderaan wasn't currently in danger, the time would eventually come that the planet's designation as the training ground for the Rebel Alliance would soon be discovered. Therefore, Leia had been assigned to travel to Tatooine and meet with Obi-Wan. In turn, he would come back to Alderaan and assist the Rebel Alliance in moving to a safer, yet unknown, location.

For now, the Rebels were scattered across the planet, training in small groups so that they would someday be strong enough to combat the Empire and take back the galaxy.

Much had been lost over these many years, Leia thought, as she silently stared out at the sunset.

"Princess Leia?" a deep voice suddenly sounded out from behind her. "Are you ready to depart?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, Leia turned and smiled when she saw who was standing before her.

Mace Windu, who had taken on the false name of Anton Macias, an advisor to the royal family and key figure in the Rebel Alliance, smiled as Leia turned to him. Behind him, R2D2 and Threepio approached the princess in absolute silence, prepared to accompany her.

"Please keep the droids safe," Mace explained. "Remember what the astro droid carries."

Leia nodded, "Anton, I fear that I will never see Alderaan again," she suddenly said, despite needing to focus on her upcoming mission. "I've been having strange dreams about it..."

_Leia is strong in the Force, obviously, since she is Anakin's biological daughter...Yet, that can be worried about much later...One step at a time. _Mace silently thought, as he nodded.

"Princess, I will make it a priority to continue preparing the Rebel Alliance for the fight ahead," Mace promised. "For now, however, I will escort you and the droids to the cruiser."

Forcing herself to let go of her dreams, Leia nodded and walked in-step with Mace towards the platform where Captain Antilles waited with the cruiser. The plans that Artoo carried would help Obi-Wan determine how best to act in the days ahead. For safety was quickly disappearing.

It was still unsure how plans for the Death Star had not only been acquired, but also implanted into Artoo's memory circuits, but Leia had long suspected that Anton had been involved.

Ever since she was a baby, Anton had been protecting not only Alderaan, but also her family and for that, Leia was grateful. Life would certainly be different without him, she was certain of it.

"Greetings, Princess, are you ready to depart?" Captain Antilles said, as Leia suddenly realized that she, Anton, and the droids were now on the platform and quickly approaching the ship.

Leia nodded, "Yes Captain," she replied, walking up the ramp.

Mace watched silently as Leia disappeared into the ship and the droids hurried up the ramp, followed by the Captain, who was, along with his crew, very anxious to get underway.

As the engines came to life, Mace turned away and retreated from the platform.

All had been silent for many years, but now the time of reawakening was fast approaching.

* * *

><p>What seemed like hours later, a pod crashed on to the sandy surface of Tatooine.<p>

Having both heard and seen the Pod falling from far off, a Jawa sandcrawler rolled towards the crash site, the inside occupants eager to salvage whatever they could from the wreck and sell.

At the pod, the hatch suddenly burst open and a shaky Threepio staggered out on to the sand, "Oh my!" he whined, seeing the barren wasteland that the Pod had landed upon.

Beeping merrily, as if he knew everything would be all right, Artoo rolled out of the Pod and coming to a stop beside Threepio, he continued to his electronic rumination.

"We shall probably die here," Threepio moaned, bothered by the fact that Captain Antilles had literally shoved them into the Pod right before the ship had come under attack.

Little did Threepio know, however, Leia had ordered the droids sent to Tatooine in a Pod because somehow, she felt that there would be trouble and she would never set foot on the planet.

Sensing approaching creatures, Artoo gave a sudden, urgent beep, earning him a glare from Threepio, "What is it?" the golden droid moaned. "We're doomed anyway!"

Before Artoo could reply, however, the Jawa sandcrawler stopped several feet away from them.

Not realizing that they were about to become goods for the Jawas selling trade, Threepio gasped and began shouting incoherently. Artoo gave an exasperated beep and was quiet from then on.

Although they would be in no danger, Artoo knew that he must remain quiet in order to succeed.

* * *

><p>On the other side of Tatooine, a deafening roar sounded out from Beggar's Canyon.<p>

Two speederbikes sped along the canyon walls and with each turn, the race intensifed. Both riders wore helmets, racing suits and gloves, for both their bodies and hands needed continual protection in the heat.

For a while, it seemed like neither bike pulled ahead of the other, riding perfectly in-sync.

Suddenly, one of the bikes came to a halt and the rider lifted his visor, revealing a winded Luke Skywalker as the rider. He had lost the race, but it was all right, as it was just a race.

Frowning, as he could instantly feel that something was wrong, Luke watched in horror as the other bike suddenly hit a rock and as it exploded, the rider flew on to the sand in a somersault.

Ignoring the wrecked bike that was engulfed in flames, Luke quickly re-revved his speeder and rode over to where the other rider lay very still on the sand.

"Father, are you all right?" Luke asked, as he knelt down and gently lifted the other rider's helmet from his head, revealing a very tired looking Anakin Skywalker. "What happened?"

Trying very hard to calm his unusually shaky nerves, Anakin sat up and took a deep breath. He had been riding on instinct, which had gone very well in the past. However, his mind had suddenly drifted and had caused him to crash and nearly injure himself. It was highly disturbing to him.

"Father?" Luke asked again, concerned that his father might have injured himself in the crash.

Feeling shaken by the fact that he had allowed strange visions to cloud his accurate use of the Force, Anakin blinked, "I'm all right, Luke," he replied. "Just very shaken."

Nodding, Luke offered his hand, "Can you stand up?" he asked, very concerned for his father.

Unaware that he was literally shaking, Anakin took Luke's hand and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. He felt Luke holding him up and leading him over to the remaining speeder bike.

"Maybe we'd better head home," Luke stated, feeling extremely uneasy about the fact that his usually headstrong father had crashed his bike. "The suns are gonna start setting soon."

Trying to keep himself from throwing up, as the Force was telling him that something alarming had happened and more would soon happen, Anakin nodded silently and allowed Luke to help him sit on the back of the undamaged speeder. Luke climbed on the front and frowned.

"Hold tight to me, Father," Luke instructed, as he revved up the speeder bike.

As the speeder bike took off back towards the Lars homestead, Anakin lowered his head.

For days, he had been having persistent visions that both Leia and Alderaan were in grave danger and had been immensely frustrated that he wasn't meant to do anything about it at the moment.

Whenever he was alone, which was only at night when Luke was asleep, Anakin had often thought of the few surviving Jedi scattered across the galaxy and how time had weathered them, and also how they had healed from the Massacre.

He also thought of Leia and although he was continually haunted by the decision he had made to give her to the Organas, Anakin knew that no other course of action would have been right. Leia had deserved much better than a peasant's life on Tatooine. It was only because of Obi-Wan's continued support in earlier years, Anakin knew, that he and Luke had managed to survive.

Luke had never known about his mother, let alone that he had a twin sister. Although Anakin knew that he could have told Luke everything, it was better at the time not to. For the sake of their safety, he had raised Luke to believe that it was and always would be just the two of them.

Of course, had it not been for Owen and Beru not only allowing them to live there, but also being willing to care for Luke when necessary, Anakin knew that things would be much worse.

Speaking of Owen and Beru, Anakin realized as he continued to hold on for the ride towards the homestead, they would be concerned and ask questions about the crash, as it wasn't normal.

"We're almost home, Father," Luke's reassuring voice stated, as he could feel his father's shaking hands struggling to hold on to his waist. "Just relax, we're almost home."

Latching on to the comfort that Luke's voice seemed to bring, Anakin forced himself to relax and silently meditate for the rest of the ride. He needed the Force now, more than ever.

* * *

><p>The suns were setting as Luke stopped the speeder bike in front of the homestead and got off only to find that his father was already standing, looking as if he'd very much like to be inside.<p>

"Are you all right?" Luke again asked, suddenly noticing how pale and tired his father looked.

Anakin sighed, "Luke, let's put the speeder bike in the garage," he said, not wanting his son to worry about him, as there was nothing that could be done except have extreme patience.

Despite his instinct of worry kicking in, Luke nodded and helped his father haul the speeder bike into the underground homestead's garage. Anakin grunted as they set the bike down on the floor.

Luke watched as Anakin took his flight suit off, revealing a ragged farmer's tunic and peasant pants underneath. He then removed his own suit, revealing a clean white tunic and pants.

"I'm sure your uncle will have something to say about my wrecking one of his bikes," Anakin lamented, as he put an arm around Luke and led him from the garage.

Luke nodded silently as they walked into the kitchen, where Beru was just putting dinner on the table, which had already been set for four.

"Aunt Beru, do we have any of that bean tea in the house?" Luke asked, as he watched Anakin take a seat at the table and close his eyes.

Casting a worried glance at Luke, Beru nodded, "Did you have an accident during the ride with your father today, Luke?" she asked, as she knew that Luke had never asked for that tea before and the only reason he would ask for it now would be to calm his nerves.

Before Luke could reply, Owen, who had just put his tools in the garage and had only seen the one speeder bike, walked into the kitchen, "Luke, what did you do with my other speeder bike?" he asked, giving Luke a sharp look. "You didn't have an accident, did you?"

Luke shook his head and gestured towards Anakin, who looked asleep, despite being in an upright position, "We were racing in Beggar's Canyon and he hit a rock, was thrown from the bike, and hit the sand in a somersault."

Not able to believe Luke's tale, Owen looked at Anakin and as Anakin opened his eyes, Owen swore under his breath: it was true, Anakin had crashed.

"How'd it happen?" Owen asked, looking Anakin directly in the eye.

Anakin stealthily refused to meet Owen's gaze, instead remaining silent as Luke brought over the cup full of Tatooine H'Kak bean tea and set it on the table in front of him.

"It's a little hot, so be careful," Luke said, as he sat down next to his father.

Ignoring Luke's warning, as he didn't care if he scalded his tongue with the tea, Anakin picked up the cup and drank the contents in one gulp. He then set the empty cup down and closed his eyes.

"Father?" Luke said, watching as Anakin relaxed while keeping his eyes closed.

Sensing Luke's intense concern, Anakin opened his eyes, "Don't be alarmed, Luke, I am perfectly all right," he replied in a gentle, yet very subdued tone. "I am just very tired from the day."

"Well, maybe if you ate more than scraps once in a while, you'd be less tired," Owen commented, grinning at Anakin as Beru brought a stack of plates, untensils, and a bowl of food to the table.

Anakin managed a small smile as Beru set out the plates, utensils, and the bowl of what looked like a very hearty stew with a serving spoon in it. He silently took the serving spoon and dished himself enough food so that nobody would comment on his strange eating habits.

As everyone began to eat, Anakin occupied himself with the food and resigned himself to listening to Owen, Luke, and Beru make small talk about the race in the desert before the crash.

Without warning, visions of Leia suffering filled Anakin's mind, causing him to drop his fork.

"Are you all right, Father?" Luke asked, concerned by the sudden grimace on Anakin's face.

Anakin nodded and slowly rose from the table, "It's been a very tiring day for me," he replied in an apologetic tone. "Forgive me, Beru, for not finishing...I think I am going to retire for the evening."

With a look of concern on his face, Luke watched as Anakin slowly and silently left the room.

"Luke, before I forget, you should also go to bed early tonight," Owen spoke up, his tone indicating that Anakin's departure from the table had not affected him much. "I need you up bright and early tomorrow morning to help me deal with some Jawas who are going to come and sell us a few more droids. Even with you and your father working hard, the farm still needs more help."

Luke nodded, although his mind was distracted, "Uncle Owen, do you think my father is okay?" he asked, a deep concern for Anakin in his heart. "Maybe I should go check on him."

Owen and Beru exchanged a glance, "Luke, I suggest you stay here and finish your dinner," Owen stated, his tone slightly snappish. "After that, I want you to go to bed...Your father's a grown man and probably wouldn't appreciate you hovering over him...Just never you mind, okay?"

Recognizing his uncle's tone as one of warning, Luke nodded and continued eating. Owen sighed, exchanged another look with Beru, and there was a prolonged silence from then on.

Little did anyone know that Anakin and Luke's shadowy concerns would soon turn into reality.

* * *

><p>Later on, when everyone else was asleep, Anakin sat up in bed and gazed into the darkness.<p>

The Force was strong within him, but he could feel continual pain and suffering.

Not only was Leia in danger, but there would be more danger and nothing could stop it.

For years, he had done his best to raise and protect Luke from his past and the remnants of it that had not been eliminated with time. The time for protecting his son was running short, however.

Soon...very, very soon...one Jedi would revive to fight and another would rise from fragile ashes.


	2. Darkness Before New Era's Dawn

**_Prisoner Cellblock – Death Star_**

Intense pain was the first thing that came to Leia's mind as she slowly came back to awareness.

It was a stupid idea to try and take on Darth Vader in hand-to-hand combat, despite having the increased stamina and strength that came as a result of endurance training sessions with Anton over the years.

The Force…or whatever it was…helped Vader to have the upper and Leia considered herself very lucky that she hadn't been killed; no doubt Vader had something horrible planned for her in the near future.

Alderaan was still standing and even if she was killed, perhaps the rest of her family, friends, and the Rebel Alliance would be able to defeat this monstrous Empire that had grown to glory from dust.

The droids were her only hope of the Rebel Alliance gaining some sort of ground over the Empire.

According to her father, there were events on Coruscant years ago that resulted in the death of hundreds of Jedi, the dissolution of the Old Republic Senate, and the disappearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi; her father knew that he was still alive but had always said that Kenobi was in hiding, mourning a great loss.

It had taken a great deal of research and talking to Anton, but Leia had managed to discover that General Kenobi's great loss was that of a friend known as Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker; an attack on the Jedi Temple had killed many and Jedi Knight Skywalker had died while trying to defend the temple.

Even though Anton was considered trustworthy by Alderaan and the Rebel Alliance, Leia had always felt uneasy about the explanation; she had felt that Anakin Skywalker might still be alive somewhere.

Pain suddenly shot through Leia and all thoughts escaped her mind as she slipped back into blackness.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Lars Homestead – Tatooine<em>**

The twin sunrises shone down on the open pit of the homestead as Owen Lars stepped out from the security of the house; the warmth of the suns made his aging heart and body smile…for a moment.

All was quiet; Beru was already working in the kitchen, Luke was still asleep, and Anakin…

Letting out a quiet sigh, Owen quietly made his way to the entrance at the top of the house; he was unsurprised to see Anakin outside, dressed in a brown robe, seated on a perch while he gazed out at the rising suns; there was no doubt that Anakin had experienced another sleepless night of horrid dreams.

"Owen," Anakin's faint voice suddenly spoke as Owen silently debated on what to do. "Good morning."

Owen bit his lip and slowly made his way over to where Anakin was sitting, "Another sleepless night, Anakin?" he asked, his voice full of concern. "I'm surprised that the crash didn't wear you out."

"Owen, I am always worn out, I just never show it in front of Luke," Anakin replied quietly.

Owen nodded and the two continued watching the sunrise silently, "Owen, would you think I was crazy if I said that I had a dream about you and Beru being in danger?" Anakin asked. "Tell me the truth."

"With what you've been through, you are anything but crazy," Owen replied. "Tell me about the dream."

Anakin sighed, "I'm not sure how to describe it," he confessed softly. "I just feel that you and Beru need to pack whatever you can and get far away from here as fast as you can….I don't know why."

"Beru doesn't like to travel," Owen stated, gazing at Anakin. "Are you sure about this?"

Anakin nodded, "You should trust me, Owen," he replied softly. "However, it is your and Beru's choice."

'I'll keep it in mind," Owen said gently. "Anyway, I notice that Luke's still asleep…"

Anakin chuckled, "Luke's never been an early riser," he commented, gazing at his step-brother.

"I was counting on him to come with me to Anchorhead today," Owen grumbled. "I heard from neighboring farmers last night that Jawas won't come out this far anymore because of rumors that there's some sort of haunting effect in the Jundland Wastes that spooks them. The Jawas take their sandcrawlers to the edge of the cities and sell their wares to the locals…I told Luke that they were coming out to the homestead, but I guess not…I need some help getting the droids."

Anakin managed a grin, "It's no problem for me to go alone, Owen," he stated softly. "I don't mind."

"Luke needs to take on more responsibility around here," Owen scoffed. "He's 20 years old and instead of helping me with farming or helping you, he spends his time in Anchorhead…chasing space dreams because of that Darklighter fellow he hangs around with..."

Suddenly remembering a recent argument that he and Luke had about Luke wanting to join the Imperial Academy, Anakin flinched and placed his hand on his chest; the old wounds were acting up again.

Owen frowned, "Do you need some bacta cream?" he asked, concerned by Anakin's sudden pallor.

"No, keep it for emergencies," Anakin whispered as he leaned forward. "Old injuries are just acting up."

Owen knelt next to Anakin, "Should I call for a medi-droid?" he asked, seeing the pain in Anakin's eyes.

"It will only cause Luke to worry," Anakin replied faintly. "He's still so young…I want to protect him."

Gritting his teeth, Anakin rose and brushed the sand from his farmer's cloak, "Not a word to Luke about this," he said in a firm tone. "I'll have something to eat and a brief rest, but then both of us will be going to Anchorhead with you to pick up the droids…You can wake Luke and have him do chores if you'd like."

Owen nodded, "Beru's making breakfast in the kitchen," he explained. "She'll tell me if you don't eat."

Anakin nodded and swallowing hard, he moved off into the house without a backwards glance.

Owen sighed as he followed Anakin; his step-brother had suffered a great deal, but still seemed afraid of something that couldn't be talked about…Why wouldn't Anakin let anyone help him?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anchorhead – Tatooine<strong>_

"I don't know why Uncle Owen could have come with you to the droid sale," Luke whined as he followed Anakin over to where the Jawa sandcrawler was parked on the outskirts of Anchorhead. "I wanted to go into town and see if Biggs came back from Imperial training yet…I want to also apply for the Academy."

They had borrowed eopies from a neighboring farm to get the droids, as Owen's speeder had malfunctioned a week earlier and had been sent to Anchorhead for repairs. During the journey in, Luke had again brought up the subject of the Imperial Academy and Anakin was none too happy about it.

For a moment, Anakin was silent; Owen had decided to stay at the homestead and keep Beru company, as she was under the weather; truth be told, Owen didn't want to risk running into Derrick and end up embarrassing his only son as the young man tried to make his own way in the adult world.

Anakin sighed, "Luke, as I have told you before, I don't want you applying for the Imperial Academy," he replied in a firm tone as they approached the Jawas. "It's not a life I want for you…it's very dangerous."

"I don't want to be stranded at Uncle Owen's farm for the rest of my life," Luke scoffed. "It's boring."

Fighting the urge to give Luke a stern lecture, Anakin began to communicate with the Jawas and motioned for Luke to be quiet as the small creatures unloaded several droids from the cargo hold.

Anakin's eyes widened as Threepio and Artoo suddenly came down the ramp and on to the sandy surface; he hadn't seen his droids in years and now he began to wonder if everything was well.

"Look at all these rust buckets," Luke commented. "Uncle Owen's going to hate anything we get."

Ignoring Luke's ignorant comment, Anakin moved over to the Jawa and began to negotiate for Threepio and Artoo in the Jawas' native tongue; he knew many languages and dialects from his time in slavery.

Impressed by Anakin's knowledge and polite nature, the Jawa murmured a reply and motioned for Artoo and Threepio to go over to where Luke was standing; the droids quickly complied without complaint.

Thanking the Jawa, Anakin reached into his pocket and handed over some of the money he had been saving since living on Tatooine and doing repair work for neighboring homesteads; Owen had given him money, but Anakin had given it back to him, saying that he could cover the cost of the droids this time.

Owen had thanked Anakin for his kindness and had asked that they bring the droids safely back to the homestead; Anakin had again warned Owen to be mindful, that things could change in an instant.

With that business completed, Anakin moved back to where Luke and the two droids were standing, "We will not make it back to the homestead before nightfall," Anakin said in a firm voice. "We will reside in Anchorhead this evening and I want you to take the droids to the droid shop and work on them there….the golden droid is named Threepio and the smaller droid is called Artoo….go quickly now."

Luke nodded, "Are you all right, Father?" he asked, concerned by Anakin's pallor. "You look tired."

"The walk to Sidi Driss Inn will wake me," Anakin stated. "Now bring the droids and come."

Threepio gazed at Artoo, concerned by the voice tone of the older man, but Artoo let out a very quiet beep as they moved towards town; Artoo remembered Anakin and knew that they were in good hands.

It didn't take Anakin, Luke, and the droids long to arrive at the posh inn and the combination of Anakin's charm and money was enough for them to secure a room for the evening, even with their droids.

Anakin then secluded himself in the room and sent Luke off to the repair station with the droids, promising his son that they would meet up at the cantina for an evening meal. Luke complied without complaint.

Unknown to Luke, Anakin had been having premonitions of what was coming….both good and bad and wanted the opportunity to meditate alone and communicate through the Force with Obi-Wan about the visions; hopefully, the visions wouldn't amount to anything….for Luke's sake, Anakin hoped not.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Droid Repair Station – Dock # 3 – Tatooine<strong>_

Luke let out an aggravated sigh; it was a mistake for his father to purchase such irritating droids.

"Might I be able to help you, Master?" Threepio asked as he watched Luke try and coax Artoo out of the corner of the repair dock. "I don't know why Artoo is acting like this….he's never been this way before."

Artoo beeped anxiously, "No, Artoo, I don't know what you're talking about and I don't want to get my father to come help me," Luke snapped in a frustrated tone. "I need to put this bolt on you."

Artoo beeped again and Threepio toddled forward, "Now you listen, Artoo!" he snapped angrily.

A blue light suddenly shot out from Artoo's eye, revealing a young woman dressed in white; she looked as if she were in trouble and trying to ask for help, but the sound was not working for some reason.

"Can you play the sound so I know who she is?" Luke asked Artoo. "She's absolutely beautiful."

Artoo beeped and without warning, took off out of the corner, past Luke and Threepio, and out of the repair shop; Luke swore and threw the restraining bolt across the room in frustration; what a day.

Taking a breath to calm himself, Luke quickly put a restraining bolt on Threepio, "Let's start looking for Artoo," he said, knowing that if his father found out about the problem, there would be problems.

"Artoo couldn't have gotten far," Threepio commented as they stepped out into the streets. "I'm sure he just decided to go find some nourishment at the local cantina for his hard working Master."

Rolling his eyes, Luke sighed, "I'm really gonna get it for losing Artoo," he moaned, unaware that Anakin was approaching from down the street to see how Luke was coming with the droid maintenance.

"Luke, I was just coming to check on you," Anakin spoke in a semi-cheerful tone. "Where's Artoo at?"

Luke swallowed hard, "Artoo sort of took off on me," he replied sheepishly, avoiding his father's intense gaze. "I was trying to put the restraining bolt on him and this picture of a woman appeared. I tried to get Artoo to activate the sound, but he wouldn't….Instead, he took off out of the repair dock…"

Anakin was silent for a moment and then looked amused, "I had a feeling that you would run into difficulty with these droids," he said, a small grin on his face. "Luke, I wouldn't worry….things will work out."

_Anakin Skywalker…..I didn't think you were still alive…I call myself Darth Vader…do you remember?_

Intense pain suddenly shot through Anakin's body, as if Sith lightning were hitting him all over again.

Without warning, Anakin felt himself sinking to his knees and then suddenly, he felt a hand grab his arm.

"Father?" Luke asked as he struggled to keep Anakin from falling. "Father, are you all right?"

Taking a deep breath to relax, Anakin suddenly felt Obi-Wan's power enter his mind and shield it, "Luke, I'm fine," he replied in a faint voice. "I'm just very, very tired….I think I'm in need of some rest."

Luke nodded and in silence, he helped Anakin walk back towards the inn, well aware that behind them, Threepio was muttering about Artoo's careless endeavour out into the desert nightmare of Tatooine.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Death Star<em>**

Ignoring the bewildered look of Governor Tarkin, Vader growled and turned his gaze to the endless space that was outside of the secure weapon that had been constructed over the last 20 years.

Anakin Skywalker was indeed alive; he was also still very strong in the Force and needed to be dealt with.

The Emperor must have known, Vader reasoned; there must have been reasons to keep it all quiet…

Obi-Wan Kenobi still being alive put a damper on another attempt to find, capture, and seduce Anakin Skywalker to the dark side; there was no other way as far as Vader was concerned…Kenobi must die.

However, Vader also knew that if he acted rashly….No, the death of Kenobi could wait and would soon be at hand if he acted correctly; perhaps Princess Leia would be enough to draw Kenobi to his doom.

"Governor Tarkin," Vader spoke, his voice sterner than death itself. "Come here."

Already unnerved by Vader's intensity, Tarkin did not hesitate to join Vader on the platform that provided a tantalizing view of space; he didn't dare to look into the black mask that was Vader's face.

"I want you to set course for Alderaan," Vader ordered sternly. "I know that the Rebels are there and Princess Leia will try and protect them with her silence, but she is actually condemning them to death."

Tarkin nodded, the look of ecstasy on his face intense, "It will be the perfect way to show the Death Star's power to the rest of the galaxy," he replied in a brisk, eager tone. "I will see to it right away."

As Tarkin hurried off to carry out the order, Vader sighed; soon the Jedi would fall into eternal darkness.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Sidi Driss Inn – After Nightfall<em>**

"…No….no….please….no….don't…..stop…..please, I'll do anything…."

Alarmed, Luke shot up in bed and gazed over at the bed in the far corner of the room; his father was thrashing around wildly in his blankets and pleading for help as if he were in some sort of danger.

Threepio had turned himself off for the night, Luke knew, shooting a gaze at the golden droid in the far corner as he got out of bed and moved over to where his father suffered in a restless sleep.

"Father, wake up," Luke said in a hushed voice as he gently shook Anakin's shoulder.

There was a gasp and Anakin opened his eyes, "Luke, oh Luke," he whispered, seeing Luke standing over him instead of in the armor of Vader like the dream had shown. "Oh…my precious son."

Swallowing hard, Anakin sat up, "Father, you had a nightmare," Luke explained. "It's over now."

Suddenly feeling the sweat pouring down his face, Anakin breathed hard and lowered his head so that Luke wouldn't see the fear that was no doubt in his eyes; Luke, however, sat on the edge of the bed and gently pulled Anakin into a tender hug….Luke also had a feeling that something was very wrong.

Instead of expressing concern vocally, however, Luke gently held his trembling father…his father needed him more than ever now; something was obviously going on that couldn't be talked about.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Jundland Wastes<strong>_

Obi-Wan sighed and gazed at the dormant Artoo that sat in the corner of his dilapidated hut; the droid had no doubt been sent by Mace or Leia as a sign that the Empire was giving the Rebels intense trouble.

It was unnerving; he had the droid to deal with and he could also feel Anakin's struggles about the past, present, and future….Anakin should confide in Luke, but Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was both stubborn to the core and overprotective of the only child he had left to his name….it was only natural.

Letting out a great sigh, Obi-Wan used the Force to again connect with Anakin and immediately, he relaxed; Luke was holding Anakin as they both drifted off to sleep…the horrific nightmare forgotten.

No doubt that the nightmare involved at least something to do with the events on Coruscant, Mustafar, or anything to do with the Dark Side; Obi-Wan knew that Anakin had not come to terms with them yet.

With Artoo safe, Obi-Wan knew that in the morning, things would change….the time would be at hand.

Obi-Wan was certain that Anakin knew where Artoo had gone and there was no doubt in Obi-Wan's mind that in the morning, the former Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker, would bring Luke towards the Jedi fate.

It was time….time to revive the ghosts of Jedi teachings long past and begin a new era…a new hope.

That was the agreement…when the time came…Anakin and Luke would be the new hopes of the galaxy.

However, Obi-Wan knew that he would need to provide much help to ensure the revival of the fighters.


	3. Faith In The Force

Morning came all too quickly to Anchorhead and as the twin suns rose, Luke found himself not only awake, but alert enough to go downstairs to the hotel cantina for some much needed food.

The cantina had been quiet; its only occupant being a droid; hence, Luke remained only long enough to get a proper amount of food and beverage for both him and his father before returning to their room.

As Luke placed the various items of food and drink on the bedside table between the two beds, he was relieved to see that his father was still sound asleep in his bed; the night had been difficult for him.

Letting out a sigh, Luke moved on to the balcony and gazed out at the quiet street; his sleep had been uneventful after helping his father get back to sleep, but ominous feelings were pressing on his heart.

Perhaps his destiny would be best served not as an Imperial soldier nor as a moisture farmer, but as something else that he could not yet understand, Luke thought as he gazed at the rising suns in both wonder and awe of what the new day would bring. Perhaps his father would be able to help him.

A soft sigh prompted Luke to turn around, only to see that his father had woken up and was trying to muster the strength to move. "Father, I brought you some food from the hotel cantina," he said in a gentle voice as he moved back into the room and over to his father's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"The night was not kind to me," Anakin weakly replied as he slowly sat up with the assistance of his gloved hands, both of which were shaking uncontrollably. "I slept, but not very well. Forget the food, Luke; we must gather our things and depart from this place. Artoo must be found immediately."

Luke gaped at his father in surprise as Anakin quickly got up and remade the bed, "If you must, bring the food with you," Anakin stated in a determined voice. "We must get on with our day already."

Luke nodded and gathered the food, frowning as he suddenly saw Anakin wince and half-collapse on to the bed. "Luke, where is Threepio?" Anakin asked in a faint voice. "He better not have escaped too."

"Threepio's with the eopies," Luke replied as he moved to his father's side. "What is it?"

Anakin did not reply; he had sensed Leia being tortured by Darth Vader and he had also seen a vision wherein stormtroopers had been dispatched to Tatooine to search for the missing droids.

"Luke, we must go home immediately," Anakin stated in an anxious voice as he forced himself to stand and stay standing. "It was a dangerous idea for us to even come here and buy those droids; however…"

Before Luke could reply, Anakin quickly left the room. Luke gathered their things and followed after him.

* * *

><p>"Senator Organa, I wish you would change your mind about coming with me," Mace said in a concerned voice as he walked up the ramp of the small shuttle. "The Empire may pay a visit to Alderaan."<p>

Bail smiled, his patience with Anton infinite. "I appreciate your concern, but the Empire can only do so much to try and break us," he replied confidently. "If they come to the planet, we will simply hide."

"I feel as if they will not touch the surface," Mace replied. "Something far worse will happen."

Amusement filled Bail's eyes, "Anton, there is only so much the Empire can do," he said in an amused voice, confident that his advisor was just a worrier. "I look forward to your return from Yavin IV."

"Let us hope that the Empire will not find the rebel base," Mace replied, even though he had already foreseen a great battle between the Rebels and the Empire. "I wish you safety here, Senator Organa."

Bail nodded and, looking around to ensure that they were alone, leaned in close to Mace, "Jedi Master Windu, you are the last Jedi I have to assist Alderaan," he said in a hushed voice. "It has been 20 years since Master Kenobi and Jedi Knight Skywalker disappeared and I worry about Anakin and Luke."

"I haven't been able to sense Anakin or Luke since they left Polis Massa," Mace replied in a solemn voice. "Perhaps they and Master Kenobi have found it prudent to live in complete seclusion."

Bail sighed, "Travel in safety," he said in a solemn voice. "Hopefully you will meet up with Leia."

Mace nodded and started up the ramp of the shuttle; he hadn't wanted to make Bail worry by telling him that Leia had most likely been captured and subjected to torture at the hands of the Empire.

* * *

><p>"Threepio, slow down!" Luke yelled, alarmed at how fast the speeder had cut through Anchorhead and was going through the desert back to the Lars Homestead. "We're not in a great hurry to get home!"<p>

Threepio gasped, "I'm not controlling the speed!" he replied in an anxious voice as he clung to the steering mechanism to keep the speeder on course. "I don't know what's going on, Master Luke!"

Anakin remained silent, his mind focused on the fact that he could see the homestead burning to the ground in his tired Jedi mind. He couldn't see any trace of Owen or Beru; perhaps they had burned.

With a sigh, Anakin raised his hood so that Luke wouldn't be able to see the fear in his eyes, "Are you well, Master Ani?" Threepio asked as the car suddenly slowed and he looked at his elder Master.

_Ani…Padme's special name for me always and forever. Oh, my beautiful Padme…._

"FIRE!" Luke suddenly shouted, seeing that the distant Lars homestead was burning to the ground.

Immediately putting thoughts of Padme to rest, Anakin leaped from the speeder, "Luke, stay in the speeder with Threepio!" he shouted as he ran towards the burning homestead with a blaster out.

"Threepio, get closer," Luke hissed at the golden droid, not wanting his father to be unprotected.

Unaware that Luke had ordered Threepio to disobey orders, Anakin crept on to the burning homestead and immediately came face-to-face with a stormtrooper welding a blaster. The stormtrooper immediately shot at Anakin, who dodged being hit by rolling in the dirt, several times.

The sound of the speeder suddenly caught the stormtrooper's attention and it suddenly began firing at the car containing Threepio and Luke, "THREEPIO, GET LUKE OUT OF HERE!" Anakin shouted as the blaster fire barely missed the speeder. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY OFF THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY!"

Another stormtrooper suddenly emerged from the burning house and saw Anakin shouting at a speeder that contained a human and a golden droid, "That's one of the droids we've been looking for," the stormtrooper said in a low voice, looking at the other. "Let's see if that farmer knows anything."

Without warning, the stormtrooper suddenly shot Anakin in the shoulder, sending the middle-aged Jedi to the ground with a hand over the blaster wound. He groaned as the stormtroopers approached him and pointed their blasters at him. Without warning, they both shot him once in the left leg.

"I don't know anything," Anakin groaned, gasping in pain as the stormtroopers approached him with their weapons ready to fire again; he hoped that Luke would take Threepio and head for the hills.

The stormtroopers exchanged a look, but before they could respond, the sound of a rifle going off permeated the silence. Anakin gasped and closed his eyes, wondering if it was the end of him.

"Father!"

Anakin opened his eyes and to his shock, he saw Luke hovering over him with a rifle in his hands, "I thought you had been shot," Anakin said in a shocked voice. "Why did you disobey my orders, Luke?"

"You're injured," Luke replied, ignoring his father's question. "Can you walk to the speeder, Father?"

Wincing, Anakin slowly sat up and Luke immediately held his hands out, "We need to go to the Jundland Wastes," Anakin said as he painstakingly got to his feet and lifted his injured leg above the ground.

"That's suicide!" Luke argued as he helped Anakin back to the speeder where Threepio waited.

Anakin sighed and leaned against the speeder for support, "Do you trust me, Luke?" he asked, using the Force to block out the pain he currently felt. "You have always trusted me. Do you trust me even now?"

"Yes," was all Luke could say, his mind reeling at the sudden turn of events. "Always and forever."

Anakin gave Luke a look and Luke found himself helping his injured father into the passenger seat of the speeder, "Why the Jundland Wastes, Father?" Luke asked as he returned to the driver's side of the car.

"Just trust me, Luke," Anakin replied softly as Luke got behind the wheel of the speeder. "Just trust me."

* * *

><p>As if someone had tapped him on the shoulder, Obi-Wan's eyes suddenly popped open. He had spent the last several years living a simple life in a barren shack, engaging in meditation and Jedi practices. He had not felt Anakin or Luke for several years, but he knew that they had not yet left Tatooine.<p>

Beeping could be heard, as well as the shots of a Tusken Raider rifle, Obi-Wan mused as he stood up and walked out of his tiny home just in time to see a small, very familiar blue astrodroid speeding towards him and beeping urgently. Obi-Wan frowned; he had left R2D2 with Bail on Alderaan many years ago.

More shots suddenly sounded and Obi-Wan suddenly heard the sound of a speeder racing across the desert, "What on earth?" Obi-Wan muttered to himself as he looked around for the source of the noise.

Artoo beeped urgently, "Anakin and Luke are where?" Obi-Wan asked, confused by Artoo's beeping.

Before Artoo could beep again, a speeder suddenly came into view and nearly crashed into the rock wall that was diagonal from the hut. Threepio immediately opened the door and toppled out of the speeder, but the driver, who looked very young and nervous, immediately turned to his motionless passenger.

Artoo immediately beeped and sped over to the speeder, "Father, wake up," Luke said, gently shaking Anakin's shoulder as he tried to keep an eye on the stranger before them. "Artoo, why are you here?!"

"This droid seems to know me," Obi-Wan replied as he walked over to the speeder. "Who are you?"

Luke gave the man with long auburn hair and a matching beard who was in ragged robes a skeptical look before letting out a sigh, "My father and I came looking for our droid who ran away from a repair station in Anchorhead last night," he explained in a worried voice. "We were attacked by some weird guys in white metallic armor while we were looking for the droid at my uncle's farm and my father was shot…"

"Your father?" Obi-Wan asked, peering at the unconscious man in the passenger seat. "Who is he?"

Luke sighed, "My name is Luke Skywalker and my father is Anakin Skywalker," he replied, silently hoping that this scraggly hermit would let them take Artoo and leave quietly. "Please don't cause us any harm."

"…Obi-Wan," Anakin suddenly moaned even though his eyes remained shut. "…I'm so sorry…"

Obi-Wan moved around the speeder and carefully opened the passenger door, "The wounds don't look too serious, but the heat has gotten to your father," he said as he quickly assessed Anakin's condition and was relieved to see Anakin was wearing a seatbelt. "Luke, unbuckle your father's seatbelt and help me carry him into my hut. The hut is nice and cool and I have medicine that can help your father."

Luke frowned and hesitated; why was this man treating his father as if they had been friends once?

"Luke, hurry," Obi-Wan said urgently as he unbuckled Anakin's seatbelt himself. "Help me carry him."

Realizing that there was no point trying to figure out whether or not to trust this strange man, Luke nodded and hurried to Obi-Wan's side just in time to see him carefully lift Anakin from the speeder and gently grab his arms. Luke immediately picked up his father's legs and the two of them carefully carried Anakin across the sand, into the small hut, and carefully laid Anakin on the small bed in the corner.

"Will my father be all right?" Luke asked, suddenly noticing how pale and lifeless his father looked.

Obi-Wan nodded and moved off to another part of the hut to find the proper medicine and bandages to treat Anakin's injuries, "Perhaps you better move that speeder and collect your droids before the Sand People decide that they want them for bounty," he said firmly. "I will take good care of your father."

Luke nodded and quickly went outside to move the speeder, immediately shocked when he saw that Threepio was missing a leg and leaning against the speeder unresponsive. The speeder looked undamaged, but as Luke got closer, he noticed that the rifle they had brought earlier was now gone.

"Darn it," Luke whined as he shoved Threepio into the back of the speeder, got into the speeder, and quickly moved it behind the small hut where it wouldn't be visible. "Hopefully Father can fix him."

_Luke, perhaps you should fix him and save me some work. _Luke suddenly heard a voice say in his mind.

Scoffing, as hearing voices wasn't normal, Luke picked up Threepio and carried him into the small hut only to find that his father was half-sitting up on the bed propped up by pillows while the stranger hermit wrapped a bandage around his lower leg, "Luke, please calm yourself," Anakin said softly.

Before Luke could argue, Artoo suddenly came rolling into the hut, "A message for me?" Obi-Wan asked, quickly interpreting what Artoo was telling him. "Who would send me a message? Can you play it?"

Artoo beeped and a hologram of a young woman in a hooded robe appeared on the screen. Obi-Wan listened intently as the young woman explained that she had been captured by a monster named Darth Vader in the process of seeking out Jedi to assist in overthrowing the Empire. Anakin, however, was thrown into his memories of the old days and was disturbed that such times were arising once again.

"Rest a while, Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently as the message ended. "We will discuss our journey soon."

Anakin coughed and gazed over at Luke, who was fixing Threepio, "Luke, hurry and fix Threepio," he said, ignoring Luke's surprised expression. "You will be accompanying us on a dangerous journey."

"Where are we going?" Luke asked curiously. "Father, are you in any shape to travel right now?"

Anakin sighed, "Remember Luke, we discussed trust," he replied softly. "I am asking for your trust."

Luke nodded and quietly focused his attention on Threepio, "Anakin, are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked in a concerned voice, noting Anakin's pale face. "You are not a young man anymore; we can wait a bit…"

"Time is not a luxury that we have anymore," Anakin replied commandingly. "We must make haste and prepare to leave."

* * *

><p>Pain filled every pore of Leia's body as she opened her eyes and found herself lying on the bunk of her desolate cell aboard the Death Star. She had been tortured for information about why she was traveling around space seeking help instead of engaging in diplomatic duties, but she had not said a word. She was hopeful that the droids had found someone who could help.<p>

Darth Vader, who Leia now viewed as a heartless tyrannical monster, had interrogated her with questions and administered a painful shock whip to her skin every time she did not answer. Even though her arms and back were covered in small electrical burns now, Leia knew that she had been successful.

The cell door suddenly opened and Darth Vader came into the room flanked by two stormtroopers who carried rifles, "Princess Leia, are you quite sure you don't wish to talk?" he asked in a threatening tone. "You have quite a stubborn streak…"

Swallowing hard, Leia said nothing, "I thought you might be interested to know that since you won't talk, we are en route to Alderaan and will destroy it," Darth Vader explained harshly. "I know that Alderaan is full of overemotional pacifists, so I have no qualms about destroying your planet. However, if you are willing to talk, I will ensure that you are spared from death later."

Gritting her teeth, Leia spat at Darth Vader and was immediately rewarded with a harsh slap across the face by the monstrous mechanical lord, "Your defiance has cost you your life," Darth Vader hissed as he and the stormtroopers marched from the cell, leaving Leia alone.

"Even if I die, the Empire will someday fall," Leia whispered, silently hoping that help would soon come to her and the Rebels.

* * *

><p>Please read and review!<p> 


	4. Farewell to Complacency

_Ignoring the feelings of sickness that threatened to overcome him, Anakin sat on the couch, "Padme, if you are going to help create a united government, it is something you will need to do without my help," he stated, not willing to look at his wife. "I will not abandon our children."_

_Giving Anakin a final glare, Padme sighed, "I will leave for Mustafar shortly," she said as she left the room. "I hope Threepio and Artoo will be enough company for you and the children."_

_Sighing, Anakin rose and followed his wife into their bedroom, where Padme was packing, "Angel, let's not part in anger," he pleaded in a soothing tone, hoping that he could calm her anger. "I want to at least give you a goodbye of love and for you not to have hard feelings towards me."_

"…Father, are you all right?" Anakin suddenly heard Luke ask in a concerned voice. "Father, please talk to me."

Swallowing hard to keep back the tears that threatened to fall, Anakin slowly opened his eyes and saw the spaceport of Anchorhead, where he and Luke had been just a day ago, in front of him. The journey from Obi-Wan's home had been a quiet one and while Luke had driven, Obi-Wan had sat quietly in the back with the droids for the entire trip. Anakin had sat in front, reflecting on past days.

"Anakin," Anakin suddenly heard another voice say in a more worried voice. "Anakin, are you feeling all right?"

Blinking, Anakin nodded as he looked at Obi-Wan, "I-I'm all right, Master," he whispered faintly. "I really am."

"We need to find a pilot that can take us to Alderaan," Obi-Wan whispered as he kept half an eye on Luke, who was browsing nearby vendors with Threepio and Artoo accompanying him. "A group of rebels led by Bail Organa…"

Suddenly, Luke ran back to the speeder with Threepio and Artoo trailing after him, "Some of the vendors say that there's a pilot named Han Solo at the local cantina who's good at transporting passengers without asking questions," Luke said in an anxious voice, revealing that he hadn't been shopping. "Maybe we should go meet this Han Solo."

"We need a plan first," Obi-Wan cut in, unsurprised at Luke's desire to act impulsively just like Anakin used to.

Anakin nodded and suddenly began to cough violently, "Father, are you all right?" Luke asked worriedly.

"T-The heat and dust make it hard to breathe," Anakin replied in a shaky voice, leaning forward just as two stormtroopers came over to the speeder carrying blasters. "I-I think I might need some medical attention."

Obi-Wan, however, looked up at the stormtroopers expectantly, "Who are you?" one of the stormtroopers asked.

"Ben Kenobi, a resident from the Jundland Wastes," Obi-Wan lied. "The young man driving is my nephew, Luke, and the man in the back is my brother, Anakin Kenobi. The droids belong to me and have for a long time."

The stormtrooper nodded and Anakin suddenly groaned, "My brother suffered a bad case of heat exhaustion while helping me repair some things around my property," Obi-Wan explained. "I was bringing him in to the medical center and while he was there, I was going to run some errands. I don't get into town much, as I am very busy."

"We'll escort you there," the stormtrooper replied curtly. "Follow us and don't exceed the local speed limit."

_If I have to say goodbye to something else, I might as well do it in style. _Anakin thought silently as Luke maneuvered the speeder after the stormtroopers. Hopefully the visit to the medical center wouldn't take long.

Luke swallowed hard as the stormtroopers suddenly stopped and turned to face them, "You can go about your business after you give us the droids," the stormtrooper suddenly said, pointing his weapon at the entire party.

"I told you, they're my droids," Obi-Wan replied, suddenly worried about this unexpected complication.

The stormtrooper cocked his blaster, but before he could fire, a massive wookie suddenly came up from a nearby vendor and promptly picked up the two stormtroopers. As quick as a flash, the wookie had smashed the two stormtroopers together and they were lying lifeless on the ground. Anakin quickly looked up at the wookie.

"Chewie!" a stern voice suddenly snapped as Obi-Wan gazed down at the dead troopers. "What are you DOING?!"

* * *

><p><em>Curse you. <em>Darth Vader thought as he broke off the link he had with Anakin's mind. _I will have to find another way._

"Lord Vader, we are in firing range of Alderaan," Captain Andris, who had been sent by the Emperor to serve under Lord Vader ever since he could remember, said as he entered Darth Vader's chamber in his crisp military uniform.

Lord Vader turned towards Andris, "Did General Tarkin send you in here to try and assassinate me since he failed to last month?" he growled, secretly pleased when Andris didn't flinch. "Need I remind you what I did to him?"

"No sir," Andris replied nervously, the gruesome death of Admiral Tarkin still fresh in his mind. "However, sir…"

Darth Vader sighed and silently studied the young man's brown hair and eyes for a moment before nodding, "Very well," he said in a commanding tone as he walked down the steps to where Andris stood. "Do follow me."

Andris nodded and silently followed Darth Vader through the haunting corridors of the Death Star and on to the Bridge where a nervous looking Admiral stood with a defiant looking Princess Leia. Leia wore cuffs on her hands and stood between two stormtroopers; her white dress had stains of dirt and blood on it and her hair was messy.

"So this is the lovely Princess Leia from Alderaan?" Andris asked as he gently touched Leia's face. "Beautiful."

The Admiral coughed, "Captain Andris, she is set for execution after Alderaan is destroyed," he replied anxiously.

"Perhaps another arrangement can be worked out, Lord Vader?" Andris asked. "I so hate to waste such beauty."

Leia spat at Andris in reply and Darth Vader growled, "Perhaps later," he replied gruffly in a warning voice.

"Now, Princess Leia, have you changed your mind?" Admiral Needa asked fiercely. "You see Alderaan, yes?"

Swallowing hard, Leia gazed out the window at the planet she called home; her father, Anton, and everyone else she cared for deeply lived on that planet and had no chance of escape. However, she had also promised to be loyal…

"Well, Princess?" Darth Vader hissed, wanting to get back to his meditation before the Emperor contacted him.

A tear slipped down Leia's cheek as she remained silent and lowered her head, "Lord Vader, before you destroy Alderaan, might I have the opportunity to persuade Leia to change her mind?" Andris suddenly spoke up.

"You have two hours," Darth Vader replied commandingly before he turned and stalked off of the Bridge to talk with the Emperor; he could feel something was off.

* * *

><p>"…What happened to your face, buddy?" Han Solo asked as he walked over to the speeder and saw that Anakin was pasty white despite looking as if he had just performed in a grueling podrace. "You look ready to blow cookies."<p>

Chewie, the massive Wookie who had killed the stormtroopers, grunted something as he looked at Luke, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, "Why were you being escorted through this dump by Imperial stormtroopers, anyway?" Han asked.

"Are you Han Solo?" Luke asked anxiously. "I heard some of the shop vendors saying that you're a pilot…"

Han chuckled, "Yeah kid, I'm a pilot," he replied in an amused voice as he grinned at Luke. "Why do you ask?"

"We need a pilot to take us to Alderaan," Obi-Wan cut in, anxious to get going. "How much do you charge?"

Suddenly Han paled, "I can't exactly leave the planet without clearance from my boss," he replied in an anxious voice, his eyes not leaving Anakin, who almost looked ready to faint. "Besides, this guy doesn't look real well."

"I thought pilots worked for themselves," Luke replied curiously, having little knowledge of how things worked.

Han chuckled, "Jabba always likes to make sure I'm kept in check," he replied nervously. "If I ever tried to…"

"Jabba the Hutt?" Anakin asked, a memory suddenly coming to mind. "Are you a slave, Mister Solo?"

Han's eyes widened, "Naw, slavery died with time," he replied haughtily. "I'd hate to be in that kind of a rut."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he quickly looked at Anakin, who looked angry, "If you have nothing useful to tell us, Mister Solo, I suggest you and your Wookie companion get on with your day," he said in a terse voice of warning.

"I'm a commissioned freighter pilot," Han replied in a more mature voice. "Jabba's my boss and I owe him money."

Anakin sighed and slowly got out of the speeder, "Jabba owes me a favor," he said in a tired voice. "Where is he?"

"At the spaceport," Han replied in an amused voice. "What favor could Jabba possibly owe you, a poor farmer?"

Anakin glared at Han, but offered no retort, "Luke, I believe the spaceport is not far from where we were yesterday," he said, gazing at his bewildered looking son. "I will go speak with Jabba while you and Ben go sell the speeder."

"The heat must have damaged your brain," Han replied, deeply concerned. "Nobody just goes and talks with Jabba."

Anakin shook his head as he lifted his hood. He gazed silently at Obi-Wan and Luke before walking off alone.

"Luke, you had better go sell the speeder," Obi-Wan said in a nervous voice, wondering what Anakin was up to.

Han scoffed, "Aren't you going to chase after that crazy old man?" he asked in an amused voice. "Sheesh!"

"Anakin happens to be my father," Luke replied in an irritated voice as he loaded Threepio and Artoo in the speeder.

As the speeder took off down the street, Obi-Wan gave Han a parental look, "Mister Solo, I suggest you and your Wookie companion go and prepare your ship for departure," he said in an amused voice. "Where do we meet you?"

"Docking Bay 93," Han replied, rolling his eyes as Obi-Wan walked off into the streets. "Crazy local farmers."

* * *

><p>The room was much different from the others on the Death Star even though it was just off the Bridge, Leia mused as two stormtroopers led her inside where Andris stood behind a large desk that had a small planet model on it.<p>

"Ah, Princess Leia," Andris said in a calming voice as he walked around the desk and up to her. "How are you?"

Leia frowned, "Why do you care, Captain Andris?" she asked in a defiant voice. "You only care about victory."

"My dear Princess, I care for much more than that," Andris replied smoothly. "You see, my dear, I was once a pitiful slave that was taken from the desolate planet of Tatooine when I was just a child. I was freed by the Emperor himself, given a rank, and commissioned to the service of Darth Vader. I care about bringing about tranquility."

Leia scoffed, "Tranquility?" she asked in a skeptical voice. "Kidnapping me and destroying Alderaan is…?"

"It was not my idea to kidnap you," Andris replied softly as he backed away. "Do you see this model?"

Leia peered at the planet model, but it meant nothing to her, "I will not betray goodness," she replied firmly.

"A pity," Andris replied, having already searched Leia's mind while they had been talking and discovering that the Rebels had fled Alderaan for parts unknown. "Guards, escort Princess Leia back to her cell for the time being."

The stormtroopers nodded and escorted Leia from the room. Andris sighed and moved back to the window that was behind his desk; Lord Vader had purposely postponed Princess Leia's executions for unknown reasons and for it, Andris was grateful. Andris now found himself staring out at space and remembering the early days of his slavery.

Andris sighed; he had no memory of his parents, but the Emperor had long ago told him that two Jedi had been responsible for his parents being killed and for him being thrown into slavery. It was fortunate that Emperor Sidious had been merciful and provided him with education and eventually, the opportunity to accept freedom from slavery.

Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader had been good to him, Andris mused; now he would do whatever they asked of him until the day that he could do no longer. He would assist in finding and destroying all who chose to rebel.

* * *

><p>Still irritated about the fact that his speeder didn't sell for as much money as he had hoped, Luke hurried into the docking bay where he felt where the others would be waiting. He was surprised when he saw his father talking in hushed tones with a very overweight Hutt while Obi-Wan silently lingered nearby. Artoo beeped expectantly.<p>

"Shh," Luke said, turning to Threepio and Artoo. "You almost got me in trouble earlier, so both of you be quiet."

Obi-Wan gave Luke a look just as Anakin nodded and bowed respectfully, causing Jabba to chuckle, "Jabba has cleared Mister Solo to take us to Alderaan providing the proceeds of the speeder are paid to him immediately," Anakin said as he turned to face Luke and the droids. "Luke, do you have the speeder sold and the money?"

Luke nodded and moved forward with the bag of money extended, "Here you are, Father," he said anxiously.

Anakin took the bag and turned back to Jabba, "Here is your money," he said in Huttese. "May we be excused?"

Jabba grunted something and slithered away, "Mister Solo and his Wookie companion are already on board," Anakin replied as he walked off towards a massive circular ship in the corner of the hangar. "We must hurry."

There was silence as Obi-Wan, Luke, Artoo, Threepio, and Anakin boarded the ship and it continued as the ship closed up and took off out of the hangar into the Tatooine sky. Anakin immediately sat at the small table and gazed up at Luke, pointedly ignoring the concerned look that Obi-Wan was giving him. The time had now come.

"Luke, sit down," Anakin said in a voice that was not his own. "It is time for you to be given some knowledge."

* * *

><p>Please read and review!<p> 


	5. A Master's Sacrifice

Luke suddenly looked nervous as he sat down on the bench next to his father, "What are you talking about, Father?" he asked, suddenly concerned by how old and tired Anakin looked. "What knowledge?"

"Luke, I am a Jedi Knight," Anakin replied softly as he gazed at his son. "Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master."

Luke was silent for a moment and then scoffed, "The Jedi were wiped out 20 years ago by the Emperor's forces, Father," he replied in an amused voice, thinking his father was kidding. "You told me that."

"Only because I told him to," Obi-Wan cut in, seeing that Anakin's patience with Luke was growing thin.

Unaware that Han had turned the controls over to Chewbacca and was coming to talk with them, Luke glared at Obi-Wan, "First you lie about your name and now I find that you encouraged my father to lie to me about things while he raised me on his own," he snapped. "How can I learn to trust you at all?"

Obi-Wan looked very humbled at that comment, but Anakin sighed and stood up, "Luke, I have a headache and I'm going to lie down for a while," he said in a tired voice. "I trust that you and Obi-Wan can settle your differences like adults; besides, I believe that Obi-Wan has some things to teach you."

"Father, do you expect me to work with him after his dishonesty?" Luke asked in a surprised voice.

Anakin, however, merely sighed and walked down the corridor without even speaking to Han, who gave him a concerned look as he passed, "Your father still looks like he's going to blow chunks, kid," Han said in an annoyed voice as he glared at Luke. "Even though he's gruff, you'd do well to respect him better."

"You don't know about me and my father," Luke snapped irritably. "Why don't you mind your own?"

Han looked taken aback, "I know more than you think, kid," he replied softly just as Obi-Wan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small lightsaber that he had constructed ages ago. "What is that?"

"Luke, your father has given me permission to train you in the Jedi arts," Obi-Wan replied as he handed the lightsaber to Luke and pulled a small ball out of another pocket. "You are holding a lightsaber."

Han snickered as Luke ignited the lightsaber, revealing a green beam, "That Jedi stuff is just a bunch of hocus pocus," he said as Luke took a few clumsy swings with it. "Why exactly are we going to Alderaan?"

"Luke, try to deflect the laser bolts with the lightsaber," Obi-Wan said anxiously. "I'll be right back."

As Obi-Wan walked off, Luke nodded and began to work with the laser ball as Han watched silently.

* * *

><p><em>"I will take Leia and my wife and I can raise her as our own," Bail offered, as he had during his earlier meeting with Mace and Yoda, just a day earlier, giving Anakin a reassuring look. "She will be given all that she needs and more."<em>

_Fighting to keep his emotions from manifesting themselves, Anakin nodded. Although he was heartbroken at having to give up his daughter, it was almost a burden off of his shoulders._

A tear slipped down Anakin's face even though his eyes were closed; he had not felt Leia's presence in 20 years because it had been easier to block her from his mind because she reminded him of Padme.

Now, as they were cruising towards Alderaan, Anakin felt his few memories of Leia and his many memories of Padme resurfacing and it had jarred his focus so much that even meditation didn't help.

"Anakin?"

Anakin opened his eyes and was unsurprised to see Obi-Wan kneeling down in front of him, "Master, I felt Leia," he whispered softly as he struggled to control his breathing. "I-I had to be alone…"

Obi-Wan nodded and gently felt Anakin's forehead, "You're sweating," he replied gently. "Breathe."

"I feel like something bad is going to happen," Anakin replied as he took slow, deep breaths to relax.

Obi-Wan bit his lip, "Trust in the Force, Anakin," he said softly. "What will happen is meant to happen."

"I should be helping Luke," Anakin replied anxiously even though he didn't move. "H-He needs to learn."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "I started Luke on a basic lightsaber exercise," he replied softly. "Time is running very short, however, to teach you everything you need to know in order to teach Luke."

"We're going to have to say goodbye again very soon, aren't we Master?" Anakin asked softly.

Nodding, Obi-Wan smiled sadly at Anakin, "The job of helping Luke to become a Jedi will fall to you, Anakin," he replied gently. "You have been a wonderful apprentice and I am very proud of you."

Anakin sighed and held back his emotions, "What more must I learn from you, Master?" he asked softly.

* * *

><p>"I apologize, Lord Vader," Andris said in apologetic voice, gazing up at Darth Vader from the bottom of the stairs that led to the platform where Vader and the Emperor kept in contact via holo-webcam.<p>

Darth Vader nodded and sighed, "I take it that you were no more successful with acquiring information from the Princess?" he asked as he descended the stairs. "Your attempt was admirable, Captain Jinn."

"Please, Lord Vader, I ask that you refer to me as Captain Andris," Andris replied nervously. "That may be my surname on my official records, but it is not what it is my heart. I don't know the name 'Jinn'."

Darth Vader was silent for a moment, "I do apologize," he replied with a breath. "Is the weapon ready?"

"Yes, Lord Vader," Andris replied in an obedient voice as he struggled with being referred to as having a surname after so many years of just being referred to as Andris. Why had Lord Vader used his surname?

Fortunately, Andris was spared from pondering that and instead followed Darth Vader out of the chamber and on to the Bridge where Admiral Needa and Princess Leia stood on the command platform while several uniformed crewmen worked on machines around the Bridge. All on the Bridge was quiet.

"Now it is time to say goodbye to Alderaan, Princess," Darth Vader said menacingly. "Any regrets?"

Leia glared at Darth Vader, but said nothing, "Captain Andris, would you like the honor of destroying Alderaan or would you like to watch as I pull the final switch?" Darth Vader asked, looking at Andris.

"The honor belongs to you and the Emperor, my Master," Andris replied. "I will merely watch."

Darth Vader nodded and walked over to the control panel, "Do you have a last name?" Leia whispered, wondering if there was more to this Captain Andris than what she saw, as it seemed to be that way.

"I am Captain Andris to you, Princess Leia," Andris replied curtly. "A surname is on my military records, yes, but the use of it is forbidden by the Emperor's order since I serve under the Empire for life."

Darth Vader cleared his throat and rested his hand on the lever, "We now bid farewell to Alderaan," he said as he moved the lever forward and back again. "There will be nothing left of it but mere pieces."

Leia watched with horror as laser fire shot out and blasted Alderaan into nothing but small rocks, "I must contact the Emperor and tell him that Alderaan is no more," Darth Vader said as he walked back over to them. "Captain Andris, return the Princess to the guards and ensure she is returned to her cell."

Andris nodded and escorted Leia from the Bridge in silence. Darth Vader, however, remained on the platform and stared out into space. The towering Dark Lord could feel Anakin and Obi-Wan's presence even though they had been off of the Imperial radar for 20 years; soon, they would meet again.

* * *

><p>"We're coming up on Alderaan," Han said as he came into the bunker and saw Obi-Wan and Anakin sitting cross-legged on the floor across from each other. "You two might wanna gather your things."<p>

Obi-Wan nodded, slowly got to his feet, and quickly extended a hand to Anakin, "I will need your help," he said as he helped Anakin stand up. Han rolled his eyes at the two of them and left the bunker.

"I haven't used this since Luke was a teenager," Anakin replied softly as he touched the deactivated lightsaber that had hung on his belt and had been covered by his farmer's tunic for many years.

Swallowing hard, Anakin lowered his tunic and moved out of the bunker with Obi-Wan at his heels as they walked through the ship. When they reached the Bridge, they saw that Luke was there with the laser ball in one hand and the deactivated lightsaber on his belt. Han and Chewie were at the Helm.

"We're in the middle of a field of rocks," Han grunted in an exasperated voice. "Alderaan's gone."

Anakin's eyes widened; he had felt a tremor during the meditation session and had sensed Alderaan's destruction, as had Obi-Wan. However, neither wanted to be labeled as crazy, so they kept quiet.

"What's that black thing beyond the field?" Luke asked, suddenly noticing something odd up ahead.

Han frowned, "Looks too big to be a meteor," he grunted as he slowed down. "We're being pulled towards it by some sort of gravity field. Chewie, shut all power down. You guys had better hide."

"Where are we supposed to hide in this bucket of bolts?" Luke scoffed. "We're gonna be found!"

Han scoffed, "I have smuggling compartments under the floor, kid," he snapped. "Hide there!"

"Luke, enough," Anakin cut in anxiously as he hurried his son off the Bridge as Obi-Wan followed after them, "Obi-Wan, open some of the floor compartments for us and the droids so we can all be safe."

Obi-Wan nodded and quickly opened some of the floor panels, "Luke get in there and don't complain," Anakin said in an urgent voice, ignoring Luke's scowl as he got inside. "Threepio, Artoo, come here!"

"We're all going to be captured!" Threepio wailed as he came hurrying down the corridor with Artoo.

Anakin sighed patiently, "Not if you get into a compartment and be quiet," he replied calmly.

Artoo beeped and immediately obeyed while Threepio whimpered as he got into the same compartment as his companion droid, "In you go, Luke," Anakin said as Han and Chewie arrived.

"What about you and your crazy old friend, Anakin?" Han asked softly. "I know you're not brothers."

Anakin sighed and merely closed the compartment over Luke and the droids, "Mister Solo, mind your tongue around me please," he replied in a firm voice. "You may be an adult, but I have no reservations about turning you over my knee and delivering a swift slap to your rear end if you don't smarten up."

Obi-Wan looked amused and fought back the urge to laugh, "Enough of that Mister Solo business," Han replied as he climbed into an empty storage panel. "Call me Han; come on Chewie, get in here."

Anakin bit his lip and quietly climbed into the third compartment with Obi-Wan. As they all pulled the floor panels overtop of them, Obi-Wan gave Anakin a look that Anakin was sure served as approval.

* * *

><p>"Lord Vader has ordered you to oversee the inspection of that ship we just captured," Admiral Needa said as he came into the office that Captain Andris had held for many years. "Do you need help?"<p>

Shaking his head, Andris rose from the chair behind his desk and moved around it, "I will take some guards with me and I will handle it," he replied, his voice still slightly weak from his holo-conversation with the Emperor about engaging in more aggressive Jedi training very soon. "I will go to the hangar."

Admiral Needa nodded and silently watched as Andris left the office before leaving himself. Andris was silent as he speedwalked through the many corridors, using only hand signals to summon stormtroopers to walk with him. When they reached the hangar, Andris was moved by the large ship in front of him.

"Check the ship and then call for a scanning crew," Andris said in a commanding voice.

The stormtroopers nodded and proceeded up the ramp. There were several seconds of silence and then there was a sudden banging noise and groan. Andris raised an eyebrow and reached for his blaster.

Suddenly, two stormtroopers came down the ramp with a massive wookie between them, "Take that thing to the prisoner cellblock and check on Princess Leia while you're there," Andris said in a firm voice, suddenly feeling a power inside of him that he had only felt while in the presence of the Emperor.

"Yes sir," one of the stormtroopers replied. Andris nodded and walked off to collect his thoughts.

Silence filled the room as the two stormtroopers walked off down the hallway with Chewie between them and it was suddenly broken as two men in cloaks came down the ramp. The two men made short work of the few stormtroopers around and then quickly retreated down a nearby passageway.

* * *

><p>"…Do we actually have to find this princess?" Han asked, taking off his stormtrooper helmet as the elevator doors closed with him, Luke, and Chewie inside. "Anakin and Ben Kenobi are insane."<p>

Luke sighed as he removed his helmet, "If we don't, maybe my father WILL turn you over his knee and maybe he should," he replied in an annoyed voice. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave anyway?"

"Jabba only gave Anakin permission to borrow me for this one mission," Han replied hastily, quickly putting his helmet back on as he saw that they were almost on the right floor. "I need to get back."

Luke quickly put his helmet back on, but before he could reply, the doors slid open and they escorted Chewie off the elevator, "We have authorization to escort this Wookie to a cell up here and to also check on the prisoner, Princess Leia," Han said in as toneless a voice as he could manage. "Now…"

"I have to check this with Admiral Needa," the stormtrooper replied. "Hold on one moment."

Suddenly, Luke loosened Chewie's bindings and Chewie promptly assaulted all three of the stormtroopers into unconsciousness, "Go and get this princess, Luke," Han snapped as he removed his helmet and set it on the console before firing his blaster at it. "I have no desire to meet any royals."

Luke sighed, nodded, and hurried through the cellblock until he reached Leia's cell, which opened easily.

"Who are you?" Leia asked in a faint voice as she opened her eyes and saw Luke standing there alone.

Taking great care to ignore the bloodstains on Leia's dress, Luke held out his hand, "My name is Luke Skywalker," he said, making sure to act respectful as his father had always taught him. "Nice to…"

"Kid, will you hurry up?!" Han complained as he came into the cell with Chewie at his heels. "We need to get out of here before more guards show up! It's bad enough that Anakin and that old fossil are…"

Leia's eyes widened and she shot to her feet, "Anakin Skywalker is alive?" she asked, gazing at Luke.

"Anakin's my father," Luke replied, suddenly unnerved by Leia's reaction. "He's with Ben Kenobi…"

Han scoffed, "Look Princess, we should get back to the ship and prepare to leave now that we have you," he said, eager to get done with this reckless crusade as fast as possible. "Let's get going."

"Not until we find Anakin Skywalker and Ben Kenobi," Leia replied in a determined voice, glaring at Han as she left the cell. "Those two are war heroes and I'm a fool to leave them on this space station!"

Luke's eyes widened as he, Han, and Chewie followed Leia down the corridor, "My father's not a war hero, Princess Leia," he replied, shocked when Leia suddenly grabbed Han's gun and shot at the wall.

Before Han could yell at Leia, stormtroopers suddenly charged off the elevator and Leia immediately jumped into the garbage chute. Luke followed and swearing under his breath, Han pushed Chewie into the chute, shot his blaster twice at the advancing stormtroopers and then jumped into the chute.

* * *

><p>"I'll keep watch while you shut the shields down, Master," Anakin whispered as he and Obi-Wan eased themselves off the Bridge and on to the ledge of the energy field. "It shouldn't take very long…"<p>

Obi-Wan sighed as he edged towards the controls, "Anakin, be mindful of your feelings," he replied softly as he quickly deactivated the field. "Being preoccupied with negative emotions and memories will only make your job of training Luke in the Jedi arts more difficult. You must allow yourself to relax."

"Yes Master," Anakin replied, suddenly remembering their discussion during his recovery years ago.

Obi-Wan nodded approvingly, "Are you ready?" he asked softly. "We'll face Darth Vader together."

"I am ready for this as much as I can be," Anakin replied softly. "I will do my best to teach Luke."

There was silence as Obi-Wan and Anakin edged over to the other foot bridge and there they saw Darth Vader and Andris, who had no showing of emotion in his commanding expression, waiting for them.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker," Darth Vader spoke evilly. "We meet face to face at last."

Anakin immediately whipped his lightsaber out and activated it, "This will end only one way, Darth Vader," Obi-Wan said gravely as he whipped out his lightsaber and activated it. "You know that."

* * *

><p>Chewie moaned as he followed Han, Leia, and Luke out of the door that had been left unlocked in the garbage chute, "Thanks to you, Princess Leia, we all need showers now," Han grunted irritably.<p>

"Luke, where do you suppose Anakin and Ben Kenobi are?" Leia asked, ignoring Han's whining.

Luke shrugged nonchalantly, but he was actually very worried about where his father and Ben Kenobi had gotten to in this massive space station. Had they been captured or were they currently in a fight.

The sound of lightsabers hitting each other suddenly filled Luke's ear and he moved towards the sound before Leia, Han, or Chewie could stop him. He was horrified to see his father, Obi-Wan, and a masked man in black engaged in a lightsaber battle right in front of the Millenium Falcon and the guards.

"_Luke is watching you, Anakin," _Anakin suddenly heard Obi-Wan say in his mind. "_Prepare to run."_

Forcing himself to hold back tears about what was about to happen, Anakin moved back from Obi-Wan and nodded at Luke that he should get Han and Leia to the ship. As Luke, Han, and Leia ran out into the hangar towards the ship, Anakin turned his attention to Andris, who was watching quietly nearby.

Andris met Anakin's gaze with one of his own; the stormtroopers all looked ready to stop Luke, Han, and Leia from reaching the Millenium Falcon, but they had been instructed by Andris to let them flee.

_Why aren't any of the stormtroopers stopping us?_ Luke wondered as he watched Han, Leia, and Chewie run up the ramp and disappear into the ship. He stood at the bottom of the ramp watching the fight.

While continuing to fight with one hand, Obi-Wan reached into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out a small, rustic-looking explosive device that he had constructed during his exile, "This fight will now end," he said in a somber voice as he deactivated his lightsaber, put it on his belt, and activated the device.

Before Anakin could react, the device went off and rocketed him backwards into Luke, sending them both to the metal floor of the boarding ramp. Artoo suddenly rolled down the ramp and beeped.

"Father, where's Ben Kenobi?" Luke asked anxiously as he helped his shaken father stand up.

Anakin coughed and tried to compose himself even though he felt intense pain from slamming into Luke and nausea at witnessing the death of his mentor, but he couldn't. Luke frowned and put an arm around his father, wondering if his father had suffered injury during their time on the station.

"WILL YOU TWO HURRY UP AND GET ON BOARD?!" Han's angry voice suddenly roared out to them.

Luke gently touched Anakin's face and found it to be ice cold, "Father, we've got to hurry," he said, deeply concerned when he got no response. "The smoke will clear and then we'll be prisoners."

Anakin nodded and kept quiet as Luke hurried him up the ramp, "Where's Ben?" Luke asked softly.

The sudden roar of engines caused Luke to frown, "Father, where's Ben?" he asked again even softer.

"Luke, Obi-Wan is gone," Anakin replied in a barely audible voice fighting the urge to vomit on the floor.

As the Millenium Falcon shot out of the hangar into space, Luke gave his father a gentle look, "Father, seriously, where is Ben Kenobi?" he asked in a gentle voice. "He didn't get on board with us, did he?"

"Chewie's got the controls for now," Han said as he suddenly came around the corner. "Where's…?"

Anakin swallowed hard, "As I have told Luke, Ben Kenobi is dead," he replied softly. "Excuse me, please."

Luke's eyes widened in shock as he watched his father walk off alone, but Han silently lowered his head.

* * *

><p>Please Read and Review!<p> 


	6. Present Meets Past

Unaware of the fact that the Millenium Falcon had just gone to lightspeed, Anakin clung to the walls of the corridor and forced himself to keep his feet moving, although he felt as cold as ice.

Because Obi-Wan had used that thermal detonator, they had been able to escape the Death Star on the Millenium Falcon, but at a heavy price: Obi-Wan had been lost in the explosion.

It hadn't registered immediately, as he was so focused on making sure that Luke was all right and able to look after Leia. However, now that they were safe, the pain of loss had set in fast.

_I should be able to feel Obi-Wan's spirit in the Force, but I can't...it's so cold..._Anakin thought, his mind and heart full of a panic that he hadn't felt since he had escaped Coruscant with his children.

It wasn't right to focus on the pain, Anakin knew, as he lowered his head; that is exactly why attachment in the old Jedi Order had been deemed forbidden. Yet, the pain was so intense and so very real.

Feeling as if he had no strength, Anakin gripped the wall for support as his vision suddenly became blurry and faded slowly to black. He suddenly felt himself falling backwards.

As he became less aware of his surroundings, Anakin thought he could hear Chewbacca's growling in the distance. _At least Luke and Leia are safe and together again_, he thought, finally allowing himself to succumb to the dark sadness that threatened to consume his very soul. _Perhaps I can find peace…Padme, I wish I could feel your arms around me...  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>"...Did you figure out what happened to him yet, Han?"<em>

_"...I don't know, kid...maybe he got himself injured on that space station when he was running around with that Kenobi fellow...I still have no idea what they were doing, though..."_

_"Is he going to be all right?"_

_"...Luke, I'm doing all I can...where's that little droid of yours at?"_

_"Artoo, put your charge arm on his chest and shock him, maybe it'll help..."_

Suddenly feeling a jolt of Artoo's power shoot through his body, Anakin opened his eyes to find Han's face hovering over his own, "How are you feeling, Anakin?" Han asked in a concerned voice.

"What...happened?" Anakin asked weakly, suddenly feeling very tired. "Why am I on the floor?"

There was silence and then Anakin suddenly felt a gentle hand on his hair, "You collapsed and Chewbacca caught you just before you hit the floor," Luke gently explained, gazing down at his father, whose head had been in his lap per Han's orders.

Blinking tiredly, Anakin tried to make sense of what had happened, "Everything was so cold all of a sudden and I felt myself falling backwards," he quietly murmured. "I thought I was going to die."

"Well, you certainly won't die, at least not today," Han muttered, trying valiantly to hide the deep concern he felt for Anakin at the moment. "Chewie, where's that blanket?! I'm gonna make sure you're okay."

Almost immediately, Anakin saw Chewbacca move next to Han and pass him a brown, ragged folded up blanket. Han unfolded the blanket and quickly covered Anakin's body with it.

"Luke, keep him warm and lying down, I have to go take back the controls from Princess Leia," Han ordered, as he got to his feet. "If you need any help, Chewie's going to stay here with you both."

As Han walked off down the corridor, Luke reached down and pulled the blanket up so it covered his father up to the neck. He then took hold of his father's gloved left hand and sighed.

"Where are we headed?" Anakin asked, feeling great comfort in the fact that Luke was very close and keeping him safe.

Luke smiled, "We're headed for the fourth moon in the Yavin system; there's a Rebel Base there that Princess Leia's been in contact with since we escaped that space station," he replied. "When you collapsed, she sent word to the base about it and there'll be a medic standing by when we arrive. Han thinks you might have suffered some sort of injury on that space station..."

"Luke, I can feel sadness inside of you," Anakin stated, as he suddenly felt the Force allowing him access to Luke's thoughts. "It's all right to grieve for Ben Kenobi, you know."

Nodding, Luke looked up and aware that both Chewie and Artoo were watching, as Threepio was in the cockpit with Han and Leia, he sighed. He had barely known Ben and now Ben was gone.

Although, he couldn't allow himself time to grieve, for time was too short and precious to waste.

* * *

><p>In no time at all, the Millenium Falcon had landed in the hangar of the Rebel base that occupied the surface of Yavin's fourth moon. The landing was uneventful, but departing the ship wasn't.<p>

Leia and Artoo were quickly drawn away by several Alliance leaders who wanted to talk to and get the Death Star plans into their machinery, hoping to find enough information to gain a victory.

True to Leia's word, a medic had come aboard the Falcon and had quickly determined that Anakin would need a more thorough examination in the base's medical center. However, Anakin had refused to be carried on a stretcher, instead asking Luke and Threepio to lead him there.

Han, despite wanting to leave with Chewie and his promised reward, remained and made sure that the medic knew that Anakin was to be treated with absolute respect, for the man had just lost a Jedi friend on the strange space station. Consequently, he and Chewie had followed after them.

Now, Han and Chewie lingered in the window of the small medical center, watching as Luke carefully sat Anakin, who now had the blanket draped over his shoulders, down on top of a small examination cot.

"Han, I thought you were getting ready to leave," the voice of Princess Leia sounded out behind him. "Everything's fine now and your reward is waiting to be loaded on your ship."

Without turning away from the window, Han sighed, "You mentioned on the space station that Luke's father was some sort of war hero," he said, remembering what Leia had screamed at him after they had rescued her and she found out about Anakin's presence. "He doesn't look like a war hero to me. He just looks like a man who lost a dear friend and is suffering from deep shock."

"Anakin Skywalker is a war hero, Han," Leia cooly explained. "It's been a long time, though…"

Suddenly hearing the name Anakin Skywalker, Mon Monthma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance, gasped and swept over to where Han and Leia stood, "Princess Leia, did I just hear you say that Anakin Skywalker is on the base?" she asked, as she thought Anakin had been killed 20 years earlier.

"Yes, he's in the medical station right now," Leia explained, gesturing to the window. "He passed out on the Millenium Falcon and Han helped revive him. When we arrived here, Skywalker's son and one of his droids helped Anakin walk to the medical center."

Mon glanced through the window and her jaw dropped in utter shock: Anakin was being assisted in lying down on a medical cot by a younger man while a medi-droid hovered nearby.

"That's impossible," Mon muttered, as Anakin had supposedly died from injuries he had recieved in the Jedi Massacre on Coruscant years ago. "How can Jedi Knight Skywalker be alive?!"

Leia sighed and took Mon's hand, "Mon, there's something else you need to know," she said, her voice quivering. "Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed on the Death Star."

Swearing under her breath, Mon closed her eyes to briefly compose herself. Upon opening them, she saw that a curtain had been drawn around the bed where Anakin was resting. How was this possible?

"We need whatever help we can get," Mon whispered, wondering how to deal with this unexpected situation, as they had extra help, but would the Skywalkers be willing to help?

* * *

><p>Luke sighed and kept a firm, yet gentle grip on his father's hand, watching as his father lay there in absolute silence, but remaining awake. The curtain had been drawn at his father's request.<p>

A medi-droid had come and after doing a quick examination, had gone off to get an actual medic who could do a more thorough examination to check specifically for injuries. After the droid had left, Anakin had asked Luke for help in lying down and, self-conscious of the fact that Han, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia were watching him, he had asked Luke to draw the curtain.

Instead of talking to Luke, however, Anakin had fallen silent and was now trying to make sense of recent events in his mind. Deep pondering made him tired and he was happy to have Luke there with him.

"Anakin?" a tired voice suddenly said, as footsteps approached the bed where Anakin lay.

Coming out of his thoughts, Anakin looked up and his eyes widened with shock as he saw the man who had saved his life nearly 20 years ago in Mos Eisley. Although many years had passed, the man was wearing a medic uniform and appeared to be in very fit condition.

Thinking that his father was still slightly shaken about losing Ben, Luke rose and offered his hand to whom he assumed to be a medic, "I'm Luke Skywalker and this is my father, Anakin Skywalker," he explained, placing a protective hand on his father's shoulder.

Both shocked and impressed that Luke, who he hadn't seen for years, had grown into such a fine young man that seemed to care a great deal about his father, the medic nodded, "My name is Doctor Jinn, I am a medic for the Rebel Alliance," he said, shaking Luke's offered hand.

Despite feeling tired, Anakin managed a small smile, "Doctor Jinn, it's been a long time," he commented, relieved that the doctor was still alive. "My son and I helped Princess Leia escape a horrible station."

Luke looked to Dr. Jinn and back to his father, "You know each other?" he asked in a surprised voice.

"I used to work in Mos Eisley a long time ago," Dr. Jinn replied calmly, eager to save Anakin the pain of answering questions he was not yet ready to address. "I also served as a medic to the outlying farms."

Even though he wasn't completely satisfied by Dr. Jinn's answer, Luke nodded and quickly frowned when Anakin suddenly began to cough violently, "Luke…Luke, go and see if Han or Princess Leia need your help with anything," Anakin said in an anxious voice, not wanting his son to see his damaged body.

"Father, you need me here," Luke replied in a concerned voice. "I can keep you calm while you rest."

Anakin sighed, "Luke, let Doctor Jinn work on me privately first and then you can come back after he's treated me," he replied in a firm tone that warned Luke not to argue. "Go help Han with his ship."

Luke was silent for a moment as he gazed at his father intently, "All right," he replied softly. "I'll be back."

"Your father will be in good hands, Luke," Dr. Jinn said in a soothing voice. "You don't need to worry."

Luke nodded and silently moved out of the curtained area, "Luke's so protective," Anakin said softly.

"You're the only parent he's ever known," Dr. Jinn replied gently. "Can you remove your tunic, please?"

Anakin nodded and winced as he untied his tunic and opened it, revealing a large colorful bruise on top of the many scars he had from being nearly killed by Sith Lightning 20 years prior, "I was in a pretty fierce lightsaber battle and I think Darth Vader kicked me in the chest a couple of times when I was down," he said in a pained voice as he struggled to stay calm. "Darth Vader murdered Obi-Wan on the station."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Dr. Jinn replied softly as he gently touched the bruises. "Does this hurt?"

Anakin sighed, "A little," he replied, suddenly self-conscious. "I don't want to take this tunic off."

"Because of your arm?" Dr. Jinn asked softly, well aware that Anakin had always been self-conscious about the fact that one of his arms was cybernetic and that it made him very different than many others.

Swallowing hard, Anakin slowly removed the tunic, revealing more bruises on his thin torso and his two very different arms, "It looks like the cybernetic one didn't take any damage this time," Dr. Jinn said in a slightly more professional tone as he examined the metal. "However, you could use some clean clothes."

"I would also take a shower, but I'm scared to take this arm off and have Luke accidentally find it," Anakin replied nervously. "I don't want Luke finding out that his father is a freak of nature as well as a Jedi…"

Dr. Jinn nodded, "I can get you some clean clothes," he replied, taking the tunic. "Just sit tight, all right?"

Anakin nodded and closed his eyes to relax as Dr. Jinn left him alone in the small curtained area.

* * *

><p>"I don't know why that strange doctor is taking so long to examine my father," Luke complained as he looked through the medical bay window and saw Dr. Jinn walk over to a small pile of clothes that were in a crate in the corner of the large med-bay. "I want to talk to my father really badly about what happened."<p>

Han, who had sent Chewie to pack their crates of money into the Millenium Falcon so that they could leave in the next day or so, sighed, "Luke, your father's been through the mill," he replied softly. "Just go easy on the poor old guy for a while; I dunno why Princess Leia said that Anakin's some sort of hero…"

"Anakin?" Mon Monthma, who had just come from a meeting with Leia about the data on the Death Star that Artoo had successfully delivered, asked in a shocked voice as she came up behind them.

Luke and Han turned to face Mon, "So the rumor about Anakin Skywalker being here is true?" she asked.

"Who are you and how do you know my father?" Luke asked in a confused voice as he gazed at her.

Mon raised an eyebrow, "Young man, what business your father and I have doesn't concern you," she replied coolly, deeply surprised that such a young man would dare challenge her. "Where is Anakin?"

"Look ma'am, Anakin got roughed up on that Death Star and he's in no condition to talk to anyone right now," Han cut in in an aggravated voice. "Why don't you go do something other than bother people?"

Mon looked highly offended at that comment and was about to reply when Mace, who had unwittingly overheard the argument concerning Anakin, came up to them, "Senator Monthma, with all due respect, recent events have left Princess Leia's rescuers rather tired, so perhaps we ought to leave them be…"

"Young man, you say you are Anakin Skywalker's son, correct?" Mon asked, a thought suddenly materializing in her tired mind.

Luke nodded, "I'm Luke," he replied politely even though he disliked this woman for wanting to bother his grieving father.

"Well, young Luke, I have some datafiles that might interest you," Mon explained. "Would you like to know about your father?"

Mace suddenly looked concerned, but was too late to stop Luke from nodding eagerly, "If you'll come with me to the base library, I can show you some rather interesting things about both of your parents," Mon continued gently. "Will you come with me, Luke?"

Deeply eager to learn about the mother whom he never knew, Luke hurried off after Mon and missed Han's look of utter shock and Mace's look of pure horror.

Han, however, sighed after a moment and stalked away from the window while Mace lingered and watched as Dr. Jinn went back into the curtained area with some clean clothes. Anakin would be furious once he found out that Mon was using the past to try and get their help.


	7. Weaknesses of Humanity

"Say that again, Master Windu," Anakin replied in an unusually anxious voice as he slowly dressed himself in the clean tunic and pants that Dr. Jinn had given him. "Why did Luke go off with her?!"

Mace sighed, but didn't show concern at Anakin's sudden anger, "It appears that Senator Monthma wishes to use Luke as bait to draw you out from hiding," he explained in a concerned voice. "I do not know…"

"Anakin's been through terrible things and all that Mon cares about is the power that Anakin could bring to the Rebel Alliance," Dr. Jinn spoke up angrily as Anakin suddenly sank back down on the bed. "Oh!"

Anakin took a deep breath and winced, "I just need a minute," he said in a pained voice. "I apologize…"

"No need to apologize, Anakin," Dr. Jinn replied calmly. "You honestly could use a good rest."

Swallowing hard, Anakin shook his head, "I don't want Luke finding out anything about what happened 20 years ago," he said in a pained voice as he forced himself to stand. "I want to talk with Mon myself."

"Anakin, use caution and tact," Mace replied calmly. "Mon's motives are clear enough, but be careful."

Silently reminding himself that he was still a Jedi Knight and that Master Windu outranked him even though the Jedi had long been extinct, Anakin nodded, "Yes, Master Windu, I will be careful," he replied in a quiet, yet very determined tone. "Doctor Jinn, thank you for your medical assistance, but I must…"

"Do be careful, Anakin," Dr. Jinn replied worriedly, seeing that he couldn't talk Anakin out of going.

Anakin nodded and slowly made his way out of the medical center down the corridor towards the command area of the base. He had no idea where to go, but he was determined to find Luke and Mon.

* * *

><p>"Luke, are you coming?" Mon's voice filtered into Luke's ear. "Time really isn't on our side."<p>

Luke blinked and saw that Mon had stopped at a door that was not far from where he was, "Sorry," he replied in an apologetic voice as he hurried to catch up with her. "Where exactly are we going?"

"This base has an archive unit that holds all sorts of records from various systems across the galaxy," Mon explained in a commanding voice as she opened a panel in the wall and typed in a keycode. "The records available to use include some datafiles from Coruscant that were smuggled off the planet…"

Luke's eyes widened as the door slid open, "We only keep copies of the data here and the originals are safely stored elsewhere in case the Rebel Alliance ever needs to evacuate quickly," Mon explained as she gestured into the base's Archive Room. "Do you know how to access the information terminals?"

"My father only ever taught me about basic searches on my uncle's dataport," Luke replied as he walked into the Archive Room and was immediately awed by the shelves containing thousands of datafiles.

Mon nodded as she followed Luke into the room, "It's all right," she replied in as gentle a voice as she could muster as she pointed to a terminal. "Just go to that terminal and put all of your identifying data into the system so that it will be able to help you find what information you want to see."

Suddenly remembering that his father had always taught him to never give out identifying data to anyone he didn't know or trust very well, Luke shook his head and immediately went back to the doorway, "I should really talk to my father first, madam," he said in a nervous voice, suddenly feeling as if Mon wanted to use him for some sort of unethical plan. "Could we possibly talk another time?"

Mon's eyes narrowed, but she gave a single nod, "Of course," she replied in a tension-filled voice.

As Luke left the room, Mon's eyes narrowed; she was determined to get Luke to help her get to Anakin and force him to help the Rebel Alliance in the war against the Empire. Anakin owed the Rebels help after being in hiding for 20 years while the galaxy suffered at the Empire's hands.

* * *

><p>"…Is that all you really care about, Han?" Anakin heard Leia's voice carry down the hall from the hangar bay where the Rebel pilots stored their ships and where the Millenium Falcon was also being kept.<p>

_Leia has Padme's passion and temper. _Anakin silently thought as visions of Padme suddenly clouded his awareness enough that he didn't realize that he had entered the hangar bay, "…I will ensure that you will have your money by morning if you really want to leave," Leia's voice carried across the hangar.

There was a grunt, "Chewie, what?" Han's voice carried across the bay. "Anakin's not in here…Chewie!"

Anakin suddenly felt a furry hand touch his shoulder and he realized that he was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, "Chewbacca," he said in a tired voice as he opened his eyes and saw the Wookie towering over him looking extremely worried. "It's very late, I think. Don't you ever get any rest?"

Chewie grunted, but before Anakin could reply, he spotted Leia, who was still in the dress she had been wearing on the Death Star, come towards them, "Jedi Knight Skywalker, are you all right?" Leia asked in a concerned voice, seeing that Anakin was pale. "I didn't know Doctor Jinn had medically cleared you."

"I am looking for Luke, Princess Leia," Anakin replied in a firm voice. "Please, have you seen him?"

Leia was silent for a moment, "Mon Monthma told me she was going to talk with Luke while you were being cared for in the Medical Bay," she explained in a concerned voice. "Did Doctor Jinn look at you?"

Anakin was silent for a moment and then bowed his head wearily, "Forgive me, Princess, I left the Medical Bay without clearance," he replied in a humble voice. "However, I am very concerned as to where Luke is. You see, Luke's mother was killed when Luke was barely a few weeks old and I have worked very hard to raise him to be upstanding, but I admit that I am a tad overprotective of him."

Leia's expression softened and she nodded, "With the Empire controlling everything as much as possible, I wouldn't call your concern overprotection," she replied in a distressed voice. "Han told me that he brought you and Luke from a planet called Tatooine with Artoo and Threepio. Where is…?"

"Tatooine is far from here," Anakin replied calmly, frowning as he saw Han coming towards them.

Han gave Anakin and Leia an incredulous look as he approached, "Break out of the Med-Bay already, Skywalker?" he asked the older man in a dry voice. "I don't blame you for doing that, of course."

"I am just looking for my son," Anakin replied tersely, not liking Han's laid back attitude one bit.

Before Han or Leia could reply, Threepio came walking into the hangar bay, "Princess Leia, Senator Monthma demands to speak with you immediately," he said in an anxious voice. "She is upset…"

"Threepio, do you have any idea where Luke and Artoo got to?" Anakin asked in a worried voice.

Threepio was silent for a moment as he inclined his head out the door, "I believe the base technicians are analyzing the Death Star data in Artoo's network," he replied anxiously. "As for Master Luke…"

"When I was working on the ship, I thought I saw Luke chatting in one of the corridors with a man in a pilot's uniform," Han commented in an amused voice. "Looks like Luke wants to be more than a farmer."

_Oh Sithspawn, no._ Anakin thought anxiously as he began to feel faint. _I will not lose Luke to war too…_

Leia frowned at seeing all the color drain from Anakin's face, "Jedi Knight Skywalker-," she began.

"Please, Princess, call me Anakin," Anakin replied in a toneless voice as he turned to face the wall.

Concerned whether or not Anakin was having a relapse, Han whispered to Chewie and the two of them took off to the back entrance to the hangar. Suddenly, Dr. Jinn came into the hangar and saw Leia watching Anakin, who had a distressed expression on his pale face, with a concerned look on her face.

"Anakin, are you all right?" Dr. Jinn asked in a concerned voice. "I had a feeling something was wrong…"

Anakin sighed and slowly shook his head, but didn't speak, "I think you need to come back to the Medical Bay for some food, fluids, and a good rest," Dr. Jinn said in a calming voice that reminded Anakin of how Qui-Gon spoke to him long ago when they had first met. "I think it will help you."

"Princess, when Luke is done, please tell him where I am," Anakin said, gazing tiredly at Leia.

Leia nodded and silently watched as Anakin allowed himself to be slowly and carefully led out of the hangar bay by Dr. Jinn, "Princess, Senator Monthma is waiting in the briefing room for you," Threepio spoke up in an anxious voice as Leia looked away from the entry door. "She was most insistent."

"I want to change out of these dirty clothes first," Leia replied firmly. "I'll meet with her very soon."

Before Threepio could protest, Luke came running through the hangar with a dark haired, bearded young man who was wearing a pilot's suit, "Han said that my father relapsed?" Luke asked worriedly.

"Doctor Jinn took your father back to the infirmary for the night," Leia explained in a concerned voice, deeply concerned about both Luke and Anakin. "Luke, what exactly happened between you and Senator Monthma, anyway? According to Threepio, she wants to talk to me and she is very, very upset."

Luke cringed, "She wanted me to put my identifying information into a computer in the Archive Room, but I was told by my father to never give out that information to people I didn't know or trust," he replied, horrified that he had offended a Senator. "I told her that and she suddenly got offended…"

"Your father's here with you, Luke?" the dark-haired man asked pleasantly. "I'd sure like to say hello."

Luke sighed and nodded, "It's kind of complicated to explain," he replied in a distressed voice. "I'm sure he'll probably be resting by the time we get to the Medical Bay, but I'm sure a quick hello will be okay."

As Luke and Biggs left the hangar, Han came back through the hangar, "I tore a strip off that kid for making his father worry," he said in a stern voice. "Anakin's been acting strange ever since I met him and Luke on Tatooine with that Ben Kenobi fellow. When Ben Kenobi was killed, I think he snapped…"

"You should be ashamed of yourself for talking about a war hero that way, Han," Leia snapped, glaring daggers at the older pilot. "I'll ensure you have your reward by morning and then you can leave."

Han shrugged, "Fine by me," he replied grumpily. "The Millenium Falcon won't be ready to go til then."

Leia gave Han another look before leaving the hangar bay. Han sighed and slowly walked back to where the Millenium Falcon sat in docking clamps. Chewbacca was standing on top of it with a loaded toolbelt.

"Chewie, I'm going to see what supplies we can get for the journey tomorrow," Han called out in a commanding voice, fully intending on stopping by the infirmary to check on both Anakin and Luke.

Chewie grunted and immediately began working as Han sighed and stormed out of the hangar bay.

* * *

><p>The infirmary was quiet, but Dr. Jinn was still awake and seated at his desk where he could have full view of the patient bay while his sole patient was finally sleeping. He had had a conversation with Mace about Anakin before Mace had retired to his personal quarters for meditation and sleep and now he was alone with his thoughts; with the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi, everyone expected Anakin to step up.<p>

"Doctor Jinn, I heard my father relapsed," Luke said in a concerned voice as he came into the office entrance with a dark haired pilot at his heels. "I was talking with my friend, Biggs, and Han said…"

Dr. Jinn sighed and stood up, "Your father did not relapse, Luke," he replied calmly. "He is just resting."

Luke nodded and suddenly noticed his father asleep on a bed in the patient bay with a blanket covering him and drip-feeds in his arm and hand. He also noticed a tray beside the bed that held a bowl of soup, a spoon, and a large cup of blue milk that looked untouched, "Has my father eaten?" he asked worriedly.

"I brought Anakin food, but he didn't want it," Dr. Jinn replied gently. "He had things on his mind."

Luke sighed, "Biggs, maybe tonight isn't a good time for you to say hello to my father," he said in a worried voice as he turned to face his older friend. "He watched a friend get killed today and I…"

"Luke, I am not suddenly fragile because Ben Kenobi was killed," Anakin replied groggily as he suddenly opened his eyes and saw Luke and Biggs close to his bedside. "Ah, hello there, Mister Darklighter."

Biggs offered a half-smile, "Mister Skywalker, how are you?" he asked in a slightly nervous voice.

"I thought you joined the Imperial Academy last year, Mister Darklighter?" Anakin asked in a groggy, slightly mistrustful voice as he slowly sat up to be at eye-level with Luke and Biggs. "Why are you here?"

Biggs chuckled nervously, "Let's just say that serving under the Emperor wasn't for me," he replied.

"Father, Doctor Jinn said you refused to eat," Luke commented in a worried voice. "Are you okay?"

Anakin sighed, "Luke, what are you still doing up this late?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"I was worried about you," Luke replied in an anxious voice as he walked over to the bed. "Han said…"

Anakin scoffed, "Do not assume that everything that Mister Solo tells you is gospel, Luke," he replied in a fatherly tone, having had just about enough of Han's reckless nature. "Now, about Mon Monthma…"

"Anakin, perhaps you had better eat something," Dr. Jinn interjected, worried that Anakin would get so busy talking to Luke that he would forget to eat altogether. "I'll throw you in a bacta tank if your color and vitals don't start improving within the next two hours. Luke, have you and Biggs eaten either?"

Biggs nodded, "I grabbed a ration pack from the temporary Mess a couple of hours ago after checking my ship," he replied in an enthusiastic voice. "I should be in the barracks with the other pilots, but…"

"Well, why don't you go to the barracks before you get busted for violating curfew?" Anakin suggested in a tired voice as he picked up the spoon. "Or do military operations not have evening curfew still?"

Biggs shrugged, "There's a meeting at 0800 tomorrow morning to discuss our next strike against the Empire, but for now we're on downtime," he explained in an anxious voice. "It is pretty late, though."

Before Anakin, Luke, or Dr. Jinn could reply, the MedBay doors opened and a young man in casual military clothing came into the room with a nervous expression on his face and two men that looked like Rebel guards at his heels, "Wedge, what are you doing out of the barracks?" Biggs asked worriedly, frowning as he saw the guards standing nearby. "Am I in trouble?"

"By order of Senator Mon Monthma, co-founder of the Rebel Alliance, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is to report to the conference chamber immediately," Wedge reported in an anxious voice as one of the guards came forward with binders in hand. "If Jedi Knight Skywalker doesn't come willingly, these guards have orders to forcibly escort him there."

Luke's eyes widened in horror as Wedge handed Dr. Jinn an electronic data card, "Senator Monthma invokes her right to override your medical authority due to the fact that Jedi Knight Skywalker's sudden appearance after being declared dead 20 years ago proves suspicious as it coincides with the destruction of Alderaan and the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi," Wedge explained in a firm, but rather nervous voice. "Senator Monthma is officially detaining Anakin Skywalker for questioning."

"My father wasn't responsible for Alderaan being destroyed, nor was he responsible for the death of Ben Kenobi!" Luke argued in an upset voice, faltering a bit when Dr. Jinn quickly came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My father needs rest."

Wedge frowned, but before he could reply, Anakin sighed and slowly got off of the bed, "There will be no need to shackle me and march me through the Rebel Base like a prisoner," he replied calmly. "I will come with you willingly and immediately."

There was absolute silence as Anakin picked up his boots from beside the bed, put them on, and silently followed Wedge and the guards from the MedBay, "Isn't there anything you can do to help my father, Doctor Jinn?" Luke asked worriedly.

"Unfortunately, Senator Monthma is within her rights to detain your father, Luke," Dr. Jinn replied somberly. "I don't know…"

Luke scoffed, "I'll go ask Leia and Han how they can help then," he said in an annoyed voice as he stormed out of the MedBay with an angry, but determined expression on his face, leaving Biggs alone with a very shellshocked, speechless Dr. Jinn.

* * *

><p>Please read and review!<p> 


	8. No Other Way

Leia sighed wearily as she looked at the royal fatigues and boots she had managed to find in one of the many storage containers that the Rebels kept in the unused areas. It wasn't much, but it would do.

Since she was Princess and the last surviving royal of Alderaan, she had been given special clearance to use one of the rooms as her quarters while the Rebel Alliance was on Yavin IV. Leia had chosen an empty office that was hardly bigger than a closet, but it already had a small cot and a makeshift fresher there.

Her hair, which had come loose while escaping the Death Star, was now in a simple braid that was wound on top of her hair and secured in a bun. Considering what had happened, she was lucky.

_Alderaan, all our people, and my father; all of them are gone forever. _Leia thought sadly as she gazed in the small hand mirror that she had gotten from one of the containers. She was the last of her family…

A tear escaped from Leia's tired eyes and she hurriedly put the hand mirror down on the container so that she wouldn't see herself crying; she was a Princess and Senator and there were worse things that could happen than losing a planet and most of her people. At least the droids had been kept safe…

The door suddenly opened and Mace lingered in the doorway, "Princess Leia, I was in meditation and I sensed that you were in distress," he said in a concerned voice. "Are you mourning Alderaan?"

"It seems so silly to mourn my own losses when others have also suffered losses," Leia replied softly.

Mace sighed, "Any sort of loss is never easy to bear," he said calmly. "However, I do know that you will always be loved even though you may not always realize it. The Empire will eventually fall to pieces…"

Before Leia, who had always been awed by Anton's incredible instincts, could reply, Luke came into view with a worried expression on his face, "Luke, what's wrong?" Leia asked in a concerned voice.

"One of the pilots and some guards just took my father to a detainment room by order of a Senator Monthma," Luke explained in a distressed voice. "They said he was declared dead 20 years ago and…"

Mace frowned, but said nothing, "My father's already had a rough day because of what happened on the Death Star, but now this?!" Luke asked in a frustrated voice. "Can't you help him out, Princess Leia?"

Leia looked concerned, "I can find out why your father was detained, I think," she replied softly, not able to help but wonder why Anakin had spent 20 years in hiding and had never told anyone of his survival.

"Princess Leia, where are the detainment rooms?" Mace, who knew that Anakin needed help to account for what happened on Coruscant 20 years ago, asked in an unusually commanding tone. "I can help."

Both Luke and Leia looked surprised, "I can show you where they are, Anton," Leia replied in a confused voice, suddenly feeling as if Anton knew more than he was letting on. "How could you help, though?"

"I have knowledge pertaining to what Senator Monthma is looking for," was all Mace would say, knowing full well that Anakin had never gone into details of the past with Luke. "Please, show me…"

Bewildered, Leia nodded, "Luke, why don't you come with us?" Mace suggested. "You can observe."

Swallowing hard, Luke nodded and silently walked alongside Leia as she followed Mace from the room and down the corridor, "I just went by the infirmary and that crazy medic said that Anakin was arrested and taken somewhere for questioning," Han commented as he suddenly came around the corner and spotted Luke, Leia, and Mace there. "What's going on that I should know about? What happened?"

"It's no concern of yours, Han," Leia replied coolly before Luke or Mace could reply. "You're leaving…"

Han scoffed, "What, you think I don't care about what happens to Anakin and Luke?" he snapped.

"I'll still make sure you get your reward by morning," Leia called out in an irritated voice as she led Luke and Mace off down the corridor towards the meeting rooms. "Just stay out of this matter, Han."

Again, Han scoffed and turned away, "Why on earth is this Anakin Skywalker so important, anyway?" he mumbled in an irritated voice as he started back towards the hangar bay to help Chewie with the ship.

Suddenly, an open door caught his eye and Han quickly found himself in a room full of data terminals and staring at shelves of data, "I wonder if there's anything about Anakin in the computer?" Han asked himself as he accessed the terminal closest to him and began to search. "It really can't hurt to look."

* * *

><p>"Jedi Knight Skywalker, it is pleasurable to see that you came so quickly and so willingly," Mon said in a commanding voice as the door slid open and Anakin was escorted into the chamber by the guards and a nervous looking Wedge. "Guards, Mister Antilles, leave us; I wish to speak with Skywalker alone."<p>

Not daring to argue with Mon, the guards and Wedge silently left the room while Mon gestured to a briefing table in the middle of the room that was before a computer screen, "Jedi Knight Skywalker, let us have a seat at the briefing table so I can show you some records we obtained from the Senate…"

Swallowing hard, Anakin followed Mon over to the table and sat as she activated a small console that was attached to the screen, "This record was rescued from the Jedi Temple sometime after the attack and the rise of the Empire," Mon explained in a toneless voice as light suddenly filled the screen.

Anakin's heart dropped as an image of him, Master Windu, and clone troops appeared on the screen.

Recognizing Anakin, they lifted their guns and pointed them at the wanted Jedi Knight, "Anakin Skywalker, your under arrest for high treason against the Republic," one of the troops declared. "You and your Jedi cohort will come with us and be taken to Mustafar for questioning."

Exchanging a look with Mace, Anakin quickly whipped out his lightsaber and instantly, both he and Mace were blocking blaster shots with their lightsabers as they ran from the Council chamber.

_"AFTER THEM!" the clone commander shouted, anxious to catch the dangerous Skywalker._

_Being mindful of Luke and Leia, who were still asleep in the pouch on his back and safely hidden by his cloak, Anakin turned and began to block blaster shots. Suddenly, he felt immense pain._

_Not even bothering to check and see if how bad the wound was, Anakin quickly decimated two of the clone troops with his lightsaber. As he prepared to turn, another shot pierced his abdomen._

_"ANAKIN, RUN!" Anakin heard Mace, who was ahead of him shout._

_Placing his flesh hand over the blaster wounds, Anakin turned and quickly followed Mace from the upper floors. In no time at all, they were on the main floor and Mace had used the Force to de-activate the lift long enough to allow them to escape the Temple._

_"Master Windu, there are bodies..." Anakin gasped, as he suddenly noticed the bodies of many Jedi scattered all over the foyer and in the various rooms. "There's been a Jedi massacre."_

_Forcing himself not to acknowledge the bodies, Mace looked at Anakin and, frowning, he suddenly gestured towards Anakin's bloodstained tunic. "You need medical help, Anakin."_

_"After we're out of this mess, Master," Anakin replied, even though the blaster wounds were bleeding rather badly and were beginning to actually hurt._

_Without warning, the lift at the other end of the hall suddenly blasted open and the remaining clones began marching towards them. Knowing that continuing to fight was useless, Anakin and Mace quickly fled towards the exit, well aware that they were not even going to be safe outside._

The scene paused, "That is the last visual record anyone in the Republic has of you for the last 20 years," Mon stated in a suspicious voice. "Why were you at the Jedi Temple when the massacre took place and why did you flee after?"

"I refuse to answer the question," Anakin replied calmly, not wanting to implicate Bail, Mace, Luke, or Leia in this.

Mon raised an eyebrow, "You've still got the protective mindset that led you into romantics with Senator Amidala, I see," she replied in a terse voice, feeling slightly amused at Anakin's horrified reaction. "You two weren't exactly discreet enough to avoid the eyes of the Senate, Jedi Knight Skywalker. We observed, but kept our distance."

Shock filled Anakin's heart; had Padme unknowingly told Bail or any other Senators of their secret relationship?

"I asked around, of course, but wasn't able to find any information," Mon stated crossly. "Now, after 20 years, you suddenly show up at the rebel base with a lightsaber, a son, and a story about how Jedi Master Kenobi was killed."

Despite his growing anger at Mon's accusations, Anakin remained silent and calm, "Senator Monthma, what is your basis for questioning Anakin Skywalker at this time?" Mace asked as he suddenly entered the room looking angry.

"Anton, this is hardly appropriate behavior even though you were Bail Organa's right hand man," Mon snapped.

Mace frowned, "Jedi Knight Skywalker, return to your quarters until I come and visit you," he said in a firm voice as he looked at Anakin. "Senator Monthma and I need to have a discussion, but you do not need to be here for it."

Before Anakin could reply, there was shouting and Luke burst into the room followed by an anxious looking Leia, "Why are you interrogating my father like a criminal?" Luke asked, glaring at Mon. "He's done nothing wrong."

Anakin looked both shocked and tired at Luke's entrance, but said nothing, "Stay out of this matter, farm boy," Mon snapped, glaring at Luke as she stood up. "This is a matter for sophisticated adults."

"Senator Monthma, Luke, ENOUGH!" Leia suddenly snapped in a voice that reminded Anakin very much of Padme when her patience had been tested too much. "Luke, take your father to his quarters and stay there with him while I talk with Senator Monthma. Anton, you are free to do what you please."

Mace was silent for several seconds before looking at Luke and Anakin, "Follow the instructions you were given and I will come visit when this matter is settled," he said in a calm voice. "Dismissed."

Swallowing hard, Anakin slowly got to his feet and left the room with Luke at his heels, well aware that they were being watched by guards as they walked, "Father, while you rest, can I go see if I can find Biggs anywhere?" Luke asked softly as they entered Anakin's quarters. "I heard he would be here…"

"Luke, I don't want you running amok," Anakin replied softly. "I just want to get some rest."

Luke frowned as Anakin sat on the floor in a meditative position, "There's a bed in here," he commented in a concerned voice as he watched his father close his eyes and exhale slowly. "Why sit on the floor?"

"One does not have to sleep to be at rest, my son," Anakin replied calmly. "This is meditation."

Luke looked confused, but nodded, "Would you like to join me?" Anakin asked softly, hoping that Luke was now ready to start learning the ways of the Jedi. "Meditation can help a person calm themselves."

"I guess," Luke replied in a confused voice, lowering himself to the floor in a meditative position.

Anakin nodded, "Now, release all of your fear," he gently instructed, grateful for a moment with his son.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Han breathed as a file of Anakin popped up on the screen with a small amount of information that extended to his birth on Tatooine to his disappearance from Coruscant nearly 20 years ago during the infamous Jedi Massacre and destruction of the Senate. "Can you believe all of this, Chewie?"<p>

Chewie, who had pulled a chair up next to the computer terminal where Han was sitting, grunted, "You said it, Chewie," Han replied softly. "I knew there was something unusual about Luke's father."

"What are you guys doing in here?" Biggs, who had been walking the hallways looking for Luke, asked in a sharp voice, wiping his hands on his flightsuit as he entered the library. "This is a restricted area."

Han scoffed and Chewie grunted, both of them choosing to ignore Biggs as they continued to look through the information, "Solo, Chewbacca, what are you doing in here?" Leia's voice suddenly asked.

"Well, hello there, your Worshipfulness," Han replied, scoffing as he whirled around in his chair.

Leia scowled, "Your reward for rescuing me and for finding Anakin Skywalker is being loaded on to your ship," she replied in an unimpressed voice. "You have no reason to remain on this base any longer."

"Why is Anakin being treated like some sort of criminal?" Han asked suspiciously. "He's an old man."

Leia's eyes widened as she saw the screen filled with information about Anakin, "I see you've been doing a little detective work, so why don't you tell me?" she replied with a scoff. "Get out of here now!"

"What's going to happen to Anakin?" Han asked in a gruff voice. "Are you just going to keep him here?"

Leia scowled, "Biggs, get back to training," she barked, suddenly noticing that Biggs was there.

As Biggs left, Han glared at Leia, "You people are treating Anakin like a criminal just because he disappeared from a place called Coruscant twenty years ago?" he asked. "People leave planets."

"It was a time of great political unrest and Anakin was accused of treason by a Chancellor Palpatine right before he disappeared," Leia explained in a concerned voice. "Senator Monthma told me about that."

Han's eyes widened, "Treason?" he asked in a doubtful voice. "Does he look as if he's capable of that?"

"I'm not sure," Leia replied softly, suddenly scowling at Han. "You and Chewie are free to leave."

Once Leia had left, Han stood up, closed his screen and looked at Chewbacca, "Chewie, do you happen to know how we can find out where they're holding Luke's father?" he asked in a concerned voice. "If it weren't for Anakin, you and I would still be on Mos Eisley and under Jabba's annoyingly watchful gaze."

Chewie grunted and nodded, as he had seen which way the guards had taken Anakin after leaving the room where Senator Monthma and Anton Macias were talking, "Let's go see him, then," Han snipped.

* * *

><p>"Master Anakin, Master Luke, would you care for food and drink?" Threepio asked as he and Artoo came into the room balancing trays of food in their arms. "Senator Monthma said you were to be given food."<p>

Anakin looked up at the two droids, "How gracious of her," he replied calmly. "Thank you, Threepio."

"How can you be so calm when you're being treated like a prisoner, Father?" Luke asked in an incredulous voice as he stood up and helped his father stand. "Doesn't this feel like slavery?"

Well aware that Luke truly had no idea what it meant to be a slave, Anakin chuckled softly, "I believe that we've been treated very well considering that I did leave Coruscant twenty years ago for my own safety and that I had been declared a traitor to the new Galactic Empire for leaving," he replied in a calm voice.

Luke's eyes widened slightly, "Now, my son, enough of this anger," Anakin continued softly, determined to keep himself intertwined in the Force and therefore, as calm as possible. "I think it's time to eat."

Even though he wanted to grumble and insist that they try and leave, Luke nodded and followed his father over to the table and chairs that were in the small room, "Just set the food here, Threepio and Artoo," Anakin stated calmly as he sat down. "We need to try to make the best of this situation, okay Luke?"

Before Luke could reply, the door slid open and Mace came into the room, "May I join you?" Mace asked in a dignified manner even though Anakin felt that Mace had come to share Senator Monthma's decision.

"Please do," Anakin replied politely before Luke could protest. "I trust you have news to share?"

Mace nodded, "Senator Monthma feels that revealing your whereabouts to the Imperial Senate would not be purposeful because they would only execute you, but she wishes there to be a price paid for your freedom," he explained in a serious tone. "She wants you to resume the rank you held in the Clone Wars and lead the squadron that is going to face off against Imperial Death Star in the next few days."

"You were in the Clone Wars, Father?" Luke asked in a surprised voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Anakin sighed warily, "I didn't want to worry you, son," he replied gently. "Now you know, though."

"General Skywalker, the Rebel Alliance will be meeting in the command chamber at 0500 H tomorrow," Mace stated calmly, sending Anakin a telepathic message to stay calm. "Tonight, you are free to do as you wish on the rebel base. I have other duties to attend to, but I wish you and Luke a good evening."

Once Mace had left, Luke and Anakin turned their attention to eating their meal in silence while Artoo and Threepio lingered, ready to serve when asked, but neither Skywalker knew what to say.

* * *

><p>"Captain Andris, come talk to me," Andris heard the sharp voice of Darth Vader say as he passed by Darth Vader's private chamber on his way to the Bridge. "I have found where the Rebel base is."<p>

Even though he already knew because of his own use of the Force, Andris obediently went into the chamber and knelt before Darth Vader, "The Rebel base is on Yavin Four, Captain Andris, and I wish you to command a detachment of fighters to attack once we arrive in orbit as a mere distraction while the Death Star is powered up. Once the Death Star is ready, it will obliterate the base and all of the rebels."

"Shall I inform Admiral Needa of your orders, my Lord?" Captain Andris asked in a respectful voice.

Darth Vader grunted, "Admiral Needa is aware of the orders, but he is showing signs of cowardice, so I am not sure how much longer he will be of use to me," he replied gruffly. "And what of yourself?"

"I will follow my orders," Captain Andris replied obediently, though he didn't say which orders.

Darth Vader nodded and stood up, "I must contact the Emperor," he stated. "Back to your duties."

"Yes, my Lord," Captain Andris replied, bowing to Darth Vader before he hurried from the chamber.

* * *

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